Kingdom Hearts: Cognito
by Tim Fortune
Summary: This is a story of Revenge. This is a story of Love. This is a story of Hope. This is a story about Heroes. This is a story about Villains. This is Cognito Note: vast, vast majority of this was written before Days or Birth by Sleep
1. Stuck Inside These Four Walls

Tim Fortune

**Tim Fortune**

**Presents**

**Cognito**

**Act I Scene I: Stuck Inside These Four Walls**

He wasn't aware of the time when he awoke. He roused himself out of bed and rubbed his eyes, expecting to see the familiar sight of Kingdom Hearts shining through his window.

When he cleared his eyes, he didn't see the bright heart shaped moon. In fact, he couldn't see anything. There was no window.

He looked all around him and noticed that he was no longer in his familiar room. He was in a prison cell of sorts.

All four walls were the same dark brick and only one was indistinguishable from the others, due to the presence of a television monitor.

"What in all the worlds…" he exclaimed.

"Ah, good morning Xehanort." A voice said as a shadow appeared on the monitor "I was wondering when you were going to get up."

"What is going on?" Xemnas snarled. He tried to summon a portal to escape and found that nothing happened.

"Don't bother Xehanort." The figure said drolly "I've designed this prison with the explicit goal of detaining the members of the Organization. So, just sit down and relax. You're going to be here quite a bit."

**XIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIII**

"Oh dear," The shadowy figure on the monitor said, his voice dripping in mock concern "It seems I've gone and made poor little Ïas upset. What ever shall I do?"

"If I had my claymore…" Saïx said, his voice filled with as much malice as he could remember.

"You'd what? You can't summon it. You can't summon a way out. Face it Ïas, you're stuck here."

**XIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIII**

"Ah, Myde, Myde, Myde, Myde, Myde," said the dark figure on the television "It's a simple concept to grasp. You're trapped here. You went to bed as usual last night and I woke my own special brand of magic to whisk you to this prison. Ingenious, no?"

"Oh yeah." Demyx replied, trying to remember what sarcasm sounded like "You're a real genius aren't you?"

"Now now, proclaiming oneself to be a genius has always been the forte of Even. Granted, I am an intelligent being. But I'm a humble one at that."

Demyx just snorted.

"Fine then. Whatever. Just enjoy your stay. The fun will soon begin."

**XIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIII**

"And now we come to the final player in my little game. Rise and shine Ienzo!"

Zexion looked up from his pillow and found himself not in his familiar room, surrounded by all his books, but instead in a prison cell of sorts. A monitor was on a wall with a shadowy figure on it.

"Ah, good you're up. You always were a late riser Ienzo. Back in Radiant Garden, you'd always be the last to show up. At least you had a keen mind to earn your place there with the other five.

"And how exactly do you know all this?" Zexion demanded. Few knew of their pasts prior to stepping through the door to darkness. There was one…but no. He was gone. He was banished to the same realm that Ansem the Wise now resided.

"In due time Ienzo. In due time. I'll wager that you'll be the first to recognize me. You always were a thinker. So, I'll just leave you with a clue oh Schemer and you can work it out from there. Toodles."

The figure disappeared from the screen and a logo of sorts appeared. On a gold background, two black cutlasses were crossed, while the words "Cognito Ergo Sum" encircled it.

"Cognito Ergo Sum…" Zexion repeated to himself "I think, therefore I am. What kind of clue is…"

It then dawned on him. Only one other used this phrase around them.

"Oh no! Oh no!" he exclaimed "He's out! How did he get out? How? How? How?"

He may have been asking it out loud, but he knew. He was the one to blame. He just had to keep that memory. He gave him a foothold into their minds giving him free reign to do what he wished.

_Is this is his vengeance? _ Zexion thought _What did I do to him? Is it because I couldn't get him off during the trial?_

It didn't matter why. He was stuck there. He was at his mercy.

"Why?" Zexion exclaimed "Why Rutonfex?"

TO BE CONTINUED…

A/N: A new story. This is only the beginning. Now, who is Rutonfex and what ties does he have to the Organization and Zexion in particular? Why has he locked them up? And how does he know their real names?

As you're all intelligent people, you'll quickly figure out the anagram. For those of you who are a little slow on the uptake, it's Fortune with an X.

No, this is not a self insertion. Rutonfex is completely different from myself and the Tim Fortune character. Later chapters will reveal more about him, so just sit tight. Same deal with Apt. Complex 13. At least one review to continue.

That is all.

The Magnificent Tim Fortune


	2. Freeshooters and Schemers

Tim Fortune

**Tim Fortune**

**Presents**

**COGNITO**

**Act I Scene II: Freeshooters and Schemers**

Morning, or at least the equalivent of it had, dawned on the Castle that Never Was. Kingdom Hearts shown brightly through the window of Number II of the Organization, Xigbar.

He rolled over in his blankets as his alarm blared away with classic rock. Turning on his side, he reached over and shut it off.

_Xemnas can wait another hour_ he thought as he attempted to drift back to sweet oblivion. But, as great as his urge to sleep, there was another even more powerful one.

_Oh great _he mentally sighed _The eternal dilemma. Get up or stay. Get up or stay. Yeah. I'm getting up._

Climbing out of his bed, he went over to his bathroom and closed the door.

Some time later, he stepped out. Heading over to his closet, he opened it. In it, hung 7 identical outfits, consisting of a black shirt, black pants, a pair of knee high boots, and a long black leather robe. To the side, 5 eye patches hung on a hook with a makeshift shelf holding an additional 3 pairs of gloves.

Taking one of the patches off the hook, Xigbar adjusted it to his head in the mirror.

"The things I do for decency." He mused with a smile. If it were up to him, he'd walk down to the meeting area without it; let them see the immensely disturbing image he has hidden under there! Oh well. Zexy would appreciate it.

His eye lit up with amusement. He checked the clock. _10:30, Zex shouldn't be up yet_. An evil smile crossed his face.

Grabbing a shirt and a pair of pants out of the closet, he quickly threw them on. Sure, his hair was a mess and all over the place. _Eh, I'll shower later_.

Reaching under his bed, he grabbed one of his guns and walked out of his room. He got a good distance before he came face to face with the new guy, who was hanging upside down.

"Hey Lux." Said Xigbar with a smile.

"Salutations and greetings to you sir." Was his reply.

"You know, the numbers are meaningless. I don't outrank you just because I'm Number II. We're equals here!"

"Then we could stand on equal footing?" Luxord responded "Perhaps you could stop walking around on the ceiling?"

"Tell you what." He did a back flip off the ceiling and landed right next to Luxord "We'll flip for it."

Luxord raised his right eyebrow in an intrigued fashioned.

Xigbar pulled a coin out of his pocket. "Heads, I can float around on the ceiling for as long as I want, only coming down when either Mansex or Saïx orders me down and you have to join me up there for as long as I think it's funny. And tails, I stay down…"

"And have to remain frozen in an incredibly awkward position for as long as I see fit." The Gambler of Fate said coolly.

"Deal." Xigbar flipped the coin and palmed it. Laying it down on his arm, he raised his hand.

"Heads. Let's go!" The both of them floated back up to the ceiling and hung there for a while.

"God!" Luxord said putting his hands on his head "How do you deal with the head rush?"

"You get used to it." The Freeshooter turned and as he walked away, he said "Be sure to use it to freak Dem out. He's a jumpy little fellow."

He walked away smiling towards Zexion's room, flipping his coin as he went.

_Sucker_ he thought as he caught the coin _Double sided coin gets 'im every time_. This was probably the 3rd or 4th time he was able to trick Luxord into taking that stupid bet. The guy must have a real problem with gambling.

After walking a while and making sure to high five Xaldin upside down, much to his displeasure, Xigbar finally made it to Zexion's room.

Doing another back flip to land on the floor, he slowly crept towards the door, waiting to bust it down. Getting himself right next to it, he slowly counted to himself "1…2…3!" And used the full force of his weight to open it. Jumping into the room, he waved his gun in the air and began to shout "LAPD, Down of the…" but stopped when he got a good look at the surroundings.

Zexion's bed was empty and tightly made and in a corner of the room, near all the bookshelves, Zexion himself sat in an easy chair with one of his many, many books in his lap. When Xigbar burst in the room, he just looked up.

"Yes?" he inquired.

"You see, uh, well…um…I was…" The Freeshooter stammered "Well…okay, what the hell man? Since when are you up before noon? Did Saïx threaten to beat your scrawny little ass if you're late for another meeting?"

"No." replied Zexion; a little more coldly than usual "I just awoke. That is all."

"Okay, that's a little out of character, but all right."

The two just stared at each other for a while.

"Is that all?" said Zexion breaking the silence.

"Yeah. Yeah it is." Xigbar turned and began to leave "See you later Zex."

"Same here Braig." And back his nose went into the book. Xigbar reversed his position to just stare at the Schemer.

There were three things that weren't exactly right about him this morning. While he was looking at a book, he wasn't exactly reading it, as his eyes weren't moving like they should. Also, he called him "Braig". No one in the castle does that. Only Xemnas does when he gets really pissed.

And third and most damning of all…Zexion was up before noon.

Xigbar left the room and closed the door behind him.

"This may inquire further study." He said as he drifted back onto the ceiling.

**XIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIII**

In his prison cell, Zexion looked up at the monitor on the wall as he watched the events that unfolded in his bedroom.

"What is going on?" He shouted "I know who you are! Just show yourself Rutonfex!"

"As you wish." A droll voice said from behind him.

Zexion turned around and found himself face to face with his captor. He was as he remembered. An average height, somewhat lanky, with long black hair that was swept behind his ears and a goatee that made the smile on his face more severe, with eyes that sparkled with eerie intelligence.

"Why, hello Ienzo." Rutonfex said with a smile "How's life?"

Zexion rushed forward and pinned Rutonfex to the wall of the cell with his arms against his neck, no easy feat as the enigmatic stranger had about 5 inches on him.

"What is going on?" Zexion said as he applied more pressure on Rutonfex "Explain!"

Throughout the entire thing, Rutonfex never stopped smiling.

"Why revenge my dear Ienzo." He replied "Just plain simple revenge."

"And I factor in to this how? I was the only one who defended you!"

"That has been noted and logged." He answered "You're here simply because you're the only one who could blow the cover on my scheme."

Zexion let him loose from the wall.

"You're still the only person in this whole goddamn group who could keep up with me." The smile still remained on his face, except it got a tad darker "Why would I punish the closest and practically only friend I have in all the worlds out there?"

"Anyone else you have captured here?"

Rutonfex let out a laugh.

"What's so funny?"

"You think you're in an actual prison?"

"What else could it be? And what's with that duplicate acting like me out there?"

"Duplicate? Duplicate?" the stranger let out a longer, louder laugh "Boy, that ain't no duplicate. That's you!"

Zexion raised his eyebrows in confusion.

"Explain." He said, and adding more coldness to his voice, he added "Now."

"Considering that you're not going anywhere, anytime soon. I'll explain."

Waving his hand in the air, they disappeared from the cell into a study of some kind. Shelves of books occupied every single wall of it, while two armchairs sat next to a roaring fire.

"Please," said Rutonfex motioning to one of the chairs "Sit."

Zexion eyed him with caution and without taking a single glance off him, he sat down. Rutonfex soon joined him.

"Now considering this is a lot of exposition, would you care for a drink of sorts?"

"No." said Zexion coldly. That goddamn smile still had yet to leave his face.

Rutonfex shrugged.

"Suit yourself." And a glass of orange liquid appeared in his hand.

Zexion grew even more impatient. _He's doing it again. That's his one flaw, whenever he's in a position of power, he's too complacent._

_Yes I agree. That really is a problem of mine_. A familiar voice in his head said.

Zexion shot up in his chair. Rutonfex smiled and raised his glass to him.

"So you're in my head now?" Zexion replied "Just wonderful."

"Now? Now?" Rutonfex laughed again "My dear friend, I've always been in your head. In fact, we're both there. Look around, does any of this look at all familiar?"

Zexion looked around the room. It actually was familiar. With the exception of a few minor details, it was a replica of his bedroom back at the Castle that Never Was.

"Alright Rutonfex," Zexion was still remembering feelings of anger and curiosity "Explain."

"Fine then Ienzo," Rutonfex said, as his glass disappeared "I'll explain. After all, that curious little brain of yours was always reaching for more information, and a better understanding of the universe, so why should I deny you of your fundamental nature?"

Zexion continued to eye him.

"We're in the most perfect prison ever devised by man, Heartless, or Nobody. I've imprisoned you within your very mind!"

He let out another laugh.

"I knew that a conventional prison wouldn't hold you or any other members of your little organization, what with the ability to teleport and all the weapons and different elements we all have control over. So I think to myself 'Rutie? What can you do to hold these people long so that they can't get out?' The answer of course was obvious. Trap them in a place where they really can't get out, their very minds. It also solves the problem of how to cover up your disappearance. Sure, I could have said you've gone on a mission, but for as long as I plan on holding you that would be impractical. So, while your fundamental being is trapped here with me, your body is running on basic autopilot, with me pulling the strings so you still behave somewhat normally."

Zexion just stared at him during the entirety of his little speech.

"Okay then. Fine." Said Zexion "That explains what you're doing. Now all I want is why."

"Why?" Rutonfex laughed "Why not?"

He seemed amused by his little joke, but Zexion was in no mood for laughter.

"But seriously. I have plans. Big ones. I've been working on achieving them ever since you people banished me to the Dimension of Nothingness. In a way, since you're here right now, I've out-schemed the Schemer. Impressive, no?"

"Yeah," Zexion said rolling his eyes "Real effing impressive."

"Meh. I wasn't doing it to impress you." Rutonfex responded "I've got plans of my own and since I hold all the power here there's nothing you can do."

He stood up in his chair.

"And since I'm just a nice guy, you don't have to return to your dank cell. You can stay here and watch the festivities."

Reaching into his coat, he pulled out a television remote and threw it to Zexion.

"Channels One, Seven, and Nine are the ones to watch. It's going to get real interesting."

And with that, he vanished, leaving Zexion alone in the study.

"Goddamn it!" Zexion shouted in a rare outburst "The sheer arrogance!"

But one question continued to plague him at the back of his mind. How exactly did he escape that dimension? It was thought to be inescapable, as it turns whoever is thrown in there to…well, nothing.

Seeing as he had nothing better to do, Zexion went over to the shelf and pulled out a book.

"Hopefully someone back at the castle will figure out we're not the same."

But deep down, he severely doubted it.

TO BE CONTINUED…

A/N: There, another chapter finished. We finally get to meet Rutonfex in person and he really is an enigmatic fellow, right?

A few notes before I leave you. Xigbar's plan to freak Zexion out early on is based on something I do at my house with my brothers. It just involves using a cap gun and bursting into their room when they least suspect it, while shouting "LAPD down on the ground!" to catch them off guard. It's actually quite amusing.

As for Rutonfex's orange drink, it's rum and orange soda, a truly fantastic concoction, particularly if it's Coconut rum that's being used.

Well, that's it for now. I need at least one review in order to continue. Thanks a bunch.

Acknowledgements:

To FaerieFighter009 for giving the inspiration to write this story. Gotta give credit where credit is due.

And to cursedchaos13 for leaving the review that got me off my ass to actually write this damn chapter.

Thank you both.

The Magnificent Tim Fortune 


	3. Quid Ita Serius?

Tim Fortune

**Tim Fortune**

**Presents**

**COGNITO**

**Act I Scene III: Quid ****Ita Serius?**

In a corner of nothing, where nothing exists and there is nothing, a lone voice permeated the absolute darkness.

"Let the fun begin!" the voice said, barely containing its enthusiasm. It had waited what seemed like eons for this chance and now it was going to seize it.

Three squares appeared in front of it each with a different person in front of it.

"Eeny, Meeney, Miney…Ïas!"

**XIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIII**

Like the animal he barely contained, Saïx prowled around the edges of his cage. Who does that person thing he is? Locking up him, the Luna Diviner, one of the most powerful members of the Organization?

"Claymore!" he shouted "Claymore!"

But nothing happened. He tried repeatedly to open a door to the darkness in an attempt to escape, but nothing was working.

In the considerable rage he should have been feeling, he began pounding on the walls like a crazed madman.

"Why so serious?" a voice said from behind him. Saïx turned around saw someone he'd thought he'd never see again.

"You!" he shouted as he rushed forward to tear him limb from limb. Instead, his captor moved to the side and the Diviner ran straight into a wall.

"Temper, temper Ïas." Was his captor response.

"I'd say it was good to see you again Rutonfex," Saïx replied as he got up while rubbing his head "But I'd be strangling you as I said it."

"My, my, my." Rutonfex said "You can do the same thing to all your prisoners and get a good chuckle out of it, but the minute it's done to you, you wish to kill whoever did it. Real effing mature Ïas."

In another blind rage, Saïx lunged straight at him again, only this time, he passed right through him, hitting the opposite wall at top speed.

"Did you really think I'd let you actually harm me?" Rutonfex said, his ever present smile growing larger "You can do nothing to top me in here. I am in complete control. Also, you keep running into those walls, I may have to skip my psychological torment and just allow you to harm yourself by doing that. Ye Gods! Why Xehanort made you his Number 2 is beyond me. You're way too impulsive."

"Is that what this is about Rutonfex?" Saïx said getting up and walking towards Rutonfex "A little PO'd because Xemnas chose me over you?"

"Well, there's the whole 'banished to a dimension of absolute nothingness', being put on trial just for speaking my mind and oh yes! Replacing me and acting as if I never was a part of your pitiful little group."

"So take it out on Demyx." Snorted Saïx "Sounds like he's the real culprit."

"Oh, that I am Ïas" Rutonfex said, that stupid smile still glued to his face "That I am."

"Well, go torture him first."

"Where's the fun in that?" replied Rutonfex "He'd crack to easy. No, no, no. I'll start out with a good challenge. Besides, it's just fun to see you fly off the handle and harm yourself. By the way could you do that again?"

Saïx just glowered at him.

Rutonfex raised his arms defensively "Sorry I asked."

"Why did we ever let a clown like you into the Organization?" Saïx said, putting his head in his hand.

"By that token, why are Braig, Even, Ela, and Myde are part of it? From those four, it doesn't seem like a real exclusive club we've got here. Hell, since we only allow Nobodies with human form to join, there are no real criteria for admission. Just show up on the doorstep and Bam! You're in. Here's your robe, here's your boots, have you got an element? Have you got a weapon? Here's your anagram of a name, have fun out there!"

Saïx just continued to glower at him.

"You're just pissed because I nailed it. That's all we are. A little group therapy session for Nobodies. Sure, it seems glamorous on the outside, but once you're in, it's really nothing. It's as hollow as our chests are."

The two stared at each other for a while and Rutonfex once again broke the silence.

"But hey. I'm not here to bitch about my problems with your little scout troop. I'm here to have a little fun."

"And what do I have to do with this insane scheme of yours?"

"Simply put, you were my strongest opponent. The minute I stepped foot in the castle you hated me. I mean, I've seen you hate people. Ela, Even, Aeleus, but I never saw the level of hatred you feel towards me. Why Ïas? What did I do to you that causes you to hate me so? Is it because I'm such a fun guy and you can't stand it?"

"You realize that if this was a fair fight I'd be kicking your ass right about now." Said Saïx, his memorized rage well over the boiling point.

"Ahh, and that's the thing ain't it?" Rutonfex said, finally dropping his smile for false concern "I don't intend to play fair. Never had, never will. Fairness gives you a chance at failure and I don't intend to fail."

"And so, are you going to talk all the damn time or actually get on with it?"

"Old Klingon proverb 'Revenge is a dish best served cold.' In due time." Said Rutonfex, his smile returning to his face "If I can't dick around with you at first, where's the ultimate enjoyment going to come from?"

"That was always your problem." Replied Saïx "You always get too complacent in whatever you do and it always leads to failure."

Rutonfex walked over and put his arm around the Diviner, who was now pissed off even more than before.

"Did you hear a word I said? Failure isn't an option here. Hell, its damn near impossible for me to fail."

"And why is that?" sneered Number VII.

"I see that there is a reason you wield a claymore." Rutonfex said as he moved back towards the shadows "You need to smash them down in a swift move. I prefer my cutlasses. Strike surgically, wear them down, bring them to their knees. That makes the victory all the more sweeter."

"I'll keep that in mind." Saïx said with contempt, but Rutonfex was gone from the room.

"I knew it." He mused aloud "He was always talk, talk, talk. Never was a man of action. Just ranted and raved and did nothing. Just worked on his imbecilic sculptures and drawings and…what the hell?"

Saïx looked up and saw that he was no longer in the prison cell. Instead he stood in front of a very familiar monastery.

"I can't believe this." He said with a sigh "Of all the places, he decides to bring me here. Wonderful."

When he looked up again, he found that he was now inside of the building. Sitting high on benches, brown cloaked figures looked down on one lone figure standing in front of them. The figure in judgment wore the same brown robe as the rest of them, but his hood was down, revealing long blue hair tied back in a ponytail. Saïx walked around to get another view and saw that the figure was him. At least him as he appeared when he was fully human. His features weren't as hard, he lacked the X scar on his forehead and his eyes shined a brilliant shade of green, compared to the dull yellow that Saïx had seen every day since his transformation.

One of the figures on the bench began to speak.

"Brother Ïas, do you know why you have been called to this tribunal?"

"No Father Superior." Ïas responded. All Saïx could do is watch.

_So, he's brought me back to this_ he thought with a sneer. That's his plan? Make him watch his fall from grace? Make him see how Ïas, once a member of the Order of Selena turned into Saïx, the Luna Diviner?

"Brother Matthias, read the charges."

"Brother Ïas, you have been charged with the following," another figure said, reading from an ancient scroll "Reckless endangerment of yourself and fellow order members, theft of our most holy relics, openly questioning your superiors in the order, and most damning of all, delving into ancient texts to study forbidden objects. What is your plea?"

"Not guilty." Said Ïas smugly "if you didn't keep trying to hold the order back, we'd have advanced far beyond what we are now. You don't know what lies there and you're afraid to find out. I have no such fear. In a way, you're all the ones at fault!"

The figures chattered frantically amongst themselves, as the lead figure banged a heavy clawed glove down on his armrest.

"Order! Order! We will have order in this tribunal!" Staring straight at Ïas, he said "Brother Ïas, for your crimes and your utmost refusal to admit that you are the one in fault, I, as Father Superior of the Order of Selena, hereby banish you. Leave and never return. I cast thee out to wander and I decree that a mark shall be placed upon your head to let others know of your shame." He banged his glove "I have spoken!"

From the shadows, another group of figures came and surrounded Ïas. He tried to fight, but there were too many of them. One pulled a dagger out of his robe and as the others held Ïas down; he put it on his forehead and carved a giant X.

With blood streaming down his face, the group carried Ïas out. Saïx followed them closely behind. He didn't know why he did, as he had lived it. In fact, seeing how he got his scar made it throb for the first time in ages on his brow.

The group carrying Ïas went out the front gate and threw him in the street. As he laid there, his head throbbing with pain and blood dripping into his eyes, the group turned and went back into the monastery.

Saïx approached his former self and knelt beside him. He placed a hand on him and found that it went through.

"Interesting isn't it?" an overly cheery voice said from above.

Saïx looked up and saw Rutonfex just crouching on top of the gate.

"This is your vengeance?" Saïx shouted pointing at his former self "You're just going to show me the lowest point of my life? That's all?"

"No, that is not all." Rutonfex replied, his grin getting wider "I've just cracked the armor. You may not seem like any of this affects you, but deep within your mind, you are broken. You were cast out of a group that was your whole life." His eyes widened a bit "Oh look! You're getting up!"

The Diviner turned around and saw that Ïas was indeed trying to stand up. He attempted to pull himself up off the wet streets, but kept failing, as the blood from his scar had gotten into his eyes and was blinding him. Not to mention the pain.

When he finally got up, he stared at the moon and let out a loud angry howl.

"It's getting interesting don't you think?" said Rutonfex, suddenly appearing behind Saïx "I mean, I don't know about you, but it's getting me right here." He added tapping his chest at where his heart should have been. When he was done, he let out a loud laugh.

Saïx just clenched his fists and turned and punched Rutonfex. The Nobody stumbled backwards, blood streaming from his nostrils.

"Yes! Yes!" Rutonfex laughed "That's what I want! Come on! Do it again! I dare you!"

In a full on blind rage, Saïx lunged right at Rutonfex. Knocking him to the ground, he proceeded to pummel him straight into the ground. The eerie thing was, that smile never left his lips.

Spitting up blood, and showing a row of blood stained teeth, Rutonfex laughed.

"What's so goddamn funny?" shouted Saïx as he heard his opponents nose crack beneath his knuckles.

"You are!" he laughed, two or three teeth falling out of his mouth "You're beating the shit out of me, why? I'm not who you want to kill! This is misplaced aggression!"

"If you're so smart," said Saïx standing up and removing his bloodstained gloves "Who is it that I want to kill?"

"The entire Order of Selena! That's who!" replied Rutonfex as he stood up, his nose broken and his face covered with blood and bruises "They cast you out and you resented it. It was that resentment that allowed the darkness in your heart to be released and form your Heartless. But your will to destroy them was so strong, that you became what you are today, a Nobody."

Saïx looked down at the ground and then again at his hands. _Goddamn it_ he thought _he's right_.

"Would you like some help destroying that order?" asked Rutonfex spitting out more blood.

"Oh now you're going to help me?" sneered Saïx.

"What can I say? I'm a generous guy."

Rutonfex snapped his fingers and Saïx found himself in an arena of some sort. Looking down he found his claymore in his hands once more.

_This is more like it_ he thought allowing himself to smile. Then something grabbed his attention.

From the corners of the arena, brown robed monks, heads bowed, arms folded at their chests entered. They moved slowly, eventually forming a semi-circle around Saïx. All at once, they threw off their robes, revealing armor and weaponry. Each pulled out their weapons and began to slowly advance on the Diviner.

An evil smile crossed the lips of the Nobody. Lifting his claymore high in the air he lunged right at his attackers.

**XIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIII**

Back in the study, Zexion watched as everything unfolded on the television monitor.

"Not a bad plan," he mused, rubbing his chin "Not a bad plan at all."

Sure, he resented Rutonfex for his current predicament, but the Schemer could appreciate a good plan when he saw one.

"I know, isn't it?" said Rutonfex as he appeared in an armchair right next to Zexion. Unlike when he was with Saïx, his nose wasn't broken nor were there any bruises or bloodstains. And since that stupid smile still remained, it was clear that he still had all his teeth.

"I'm glad that you can appreciate my schemes Ienzo." He added, summoning another drink from nowhere "You don't know how much that means to me."

Zexion just snorted.

"Oh come on buddy!" Rutonfex's smile dropped "I didn't want to trap you here! But it had to be done! You're the only one of the other brain dead idiots who could unravel my plan! If you saw Xehanort or Ïas or Myde acting ever so slightly out of character, then your suspicions would be raised and you'd check your meticulous little records and eventually I'd be found out. No. For this scheme to work, I need absolute secrecy. The others will never pick up on OOC-ness. They're just not that smart."

Zexion eyed him some more.

"Now, when I say that I really didn't want to do this to you, I mean it. The second I'm done with those three, you're free to go. I'll be done and as soon as I am, I'm outta here! Places to go, worlds to conquer that sort of thing."

"Am I really able to trust you?" Zexion said firmly keeping his glance on his captor.

"Ienzo!" he replied, concern spilling over into his voice "It's me! Have you forgotten the good times? The times before Xehanort opened that door to darkness? You and I just hanging out in Ansem's garden? I completing a sculpture for him, as you looked over your notes? Those were the best times man! Life was sweet. Don't tell me you've forgotten?"

"I remember alright." Replied Zexion "You're right, they were good times. But that's the past. I'm no longer Ienzo as much as you are still that artist. We're different now. There's no turning back."

"You wound me Ienzo." Rutonfex sighed "You wound me."

"And could you stop calling me that!" Zexion exclaimed "I'm no longer that person! I'm now Zexion, The Cloaked Schemer, Number VI of the Organization!"

"So be it." Rutonfex said and for the first time in ages was deadly serious "You've chosen your path. I hope you're content with it. You're nothing now. Not a friend. Not an ally. I'll remember you as you were, not as you are…_Zexion_."

And he disappeared.

Zexion sat in silence for long time and eventually sank back in his chair.

_Why should I feel so bad about this?_ He thought. Rutonfex had imprisoned him and was torturing his associates. Not mention that he was also an arrogant, self-centered bastard. So why did he feel terrible about turning him away?

"Maybe our friendship did run that deep." He said aloud.

But he didn't have any time to think about it further, as he grabbed his head and collapsed to the floor.

**XIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIII**

Bodies of warriors lay all around the arena, their weapons lying broken and useless next to them. In the center of the arena, Saïx stood, his claymore at his side, and let a cry of victory into the open air.

"Well done Ïas. Well done." A voice said accompanied by clapping. High above the arena, sitting between two arches was Rutonfex. Once again, his appearance gave no indication that he had previously had his face smashed in.

"Is that it Rutonfex?" Saïx shouted as he looked up at him "Are you just going to give me the chance to avenge my wrongs?"

"Not at all Ïas." Smiled Rutonfex "Not at all."

Rutonfex clapped his hands once more and from the back of the arena, a man entered.

He was a massive man dressed in silver armor over a light green under suit with a giant sword strapped to his back. While the top of his head was bald, the sides were covered with light blue hair that was tied back into a ponytail. Above a long sharp nose, two brilliant green eyes shown with an intense hatred.

"Father Superior." Saïx snarled as he raised his claymore in an attack position.

"Ïas." Was his opponents reply "Failure."

"I was not a failure!"

"You wear the mark of one." Superior said gesturing towards Saïx's scar.

"Because you ordered it put on me!" he shouted.

"I wouldn't have done so if you hadn't failed. You failed the order, you disobeyed your vows," the monk began to step closer towards Saïx "And…you failed me as a son."

"You weren't exactly the best father." Retorted Saïx as he readied himself for battle "The Order always came first."

"Of course it came first!" his father shouted "It was my penance! It began the moment I succumbed to the cheap thrills of the flesh."

"You dare talk about Mother that way?" Saïx snapped.

"It was a moment of weakness." He responded "And what did I get out of it? A nasty little hellspawn who's damned himself and his father with his dabblings in the Dark Arts. Look at what you've become!"

"I've become more powerful than you old man!" and Saïx lunged straight at him. But his father was ready for him.

As fast as the Diviner moved, the old man was faster. Every swing he took at him was deflected. For every inch he moved forward, he moved another five back. He was hopelessly overwhelmed.

Eventually, his claymore was knocked out of his hands and he was knocked to the ground. His father stood over him, his blade to his throat.

"Face it boy," the old man said "You're nothing. You can't defeat me. Wherever you go, you'll always be in my shadow. I knew what your little exercise in reading the forbidden texts was. It was a cry for attention. A pathetic one at that. And after all I did for you! I took you in as your mother lay dying in our infirmary. I let you have a place in the Order. I groomed you to be the next Superior in the Order! And what did you go and do? You break our laws all to see if Daddy would show some restraint. Well look at yourself now! You could have been the leader of the most powerful sacred group in all the worlds, but now you're just Number 2 in a group of emotionally repressed failures! You may act tough and pretend that you don't care, but deep down you do. Heart or not, you're still aching for my approval. Well, it will never come. You're an absolute failure Ïas. No matter what you do, you'll always be one. And not just a failure, a disappointment. I now see why the Lady cursed me with your birth. It was to show me humility. To show that everything I create is flawed."

Turning his head to the heavens, he prayed "Oh Selena, goddess of the stars, I can now see your wisdom. You have given me a son who has shown himself to be nothing. I humble myself before you."

Looking down at Saïx he added "I won't kill you. That would be too easy. Instead, you have to live with the knowledge you have disappointed the one man you've done everything in your power to impress. Go. I have no son."

He removed his blade from his neck and began to walk away. Saïx just put his hand up in the air and said softly "Father…I'm sorry. Don't go… I'll do better! I promise."

But his father was gone and Saïx put his head in the dirt and cried. There was no heart to register the emotion, but what he felt was the first real feelings he had felt in a long time.

Up in his perch, Rutonfex watched the whole thing. His smile grew wider. He did it! He broke the will of the Diviner!

"Mission accomplished." He said as he disappeared, leaving Saïx to wallow in his own sadness.

TO BE CONTINUED…

A/N: Whoa. That was epic. And so here we are at the end of Chapter 3 and with his own brand of evilness, Rutonfex has seemingly killed Zexion and destroyed Saïx's will.

And there's still more to come.

As for Saïx's back story, I figure the guy was a monk of sorts who was cast out. I base this on the fact that he seemingly prays a whole bunch of times during the games and I dunno, it just fits. As for his daddy issues, again, it felt right. That's why he's such a crazy guy; he's trying to earn the respect of his father. Whatever. If you don't like it, you can bitch to me in your review. But this is my take on the character.

Just a final note, the title is "Why so serious?" in Latin.

Stay tuned.

The Magnificent Tim Fortune


	4. Flurries, Academics and Lancers

Tim Fortune

**Tim Fortune**

**Presents**

**COGNITO**

**Act I Scene IV: Flurries, Academics, and Lancers**

"Okay guys. There's a reason I called you here today." Xigbar said as he looked over the kitchen table at the four others who joined him "There's something up with Zexion and I can't quite put my finger on it. Does anyone have anything else to add to this?"

Vexen cleared his throat and said "That's it? You drag us away from our duties just because your little playmate is having an off day?"

"It's not just Zexion." Xaldin added "Saïx was acting more subdued and detached than usual this morning. As Xigbar said, it was nothing really, but something did seem a little off."

From the far corner of the room, Axel spoke up "So that's why we're here? Based on 'hunches' we have? What exactly did Zexy do that tipped you off that something 'wasn't quite right'?"

"He was awake before noon." Xigbar replied, his voice filled with confidence.

The other four quickly turned their heads to stare at the Freeshooter.

"Wait," said Vexen after a while "That was what tipped you off?"

"Well," Xigbar said finally thinking about what he had said "There were other things. One was that he was reading a book, but his eyes weren't moving as he did it. He was just staring at the pages. It was as if he was going through the motions. And…" Xigbar made sure to particularly eye the three of the original six that sat there "He called me Braig."

Xaldin's, Vexen's, and Lexaeus' eyes widened. Axel just continued to act nonchalantly.

"And this is important why?" Axel said, his voice filled with impatience.

"Axel," said Xaldin "You're just a neophyte. You wouldn't understand the importance of that."

"Try me." Responded the Flurry, flames dancing in his eyes.  
"Do you know why we have that naming ceremony upon being inducted?" Xaldin asked "It's to show that we have been reborn. It's to show that a new chapter is beginning from the ruins of the old one. Hence why our new names are just anagrams of our old ones with Xs. And do you know who started that?"

Axel shrugged his shoulders "I assumed it was Mansex."

"Watch your tone!" snapped Vexen.

"Hey numb nuts, bite me." Was Axel's retort.

Vexen got up from the table and went over to behind Axel's seat. Leaning in close, he whispered in his ear "Listen to me you arrogant little bastard, you may be some kind of boy wonder around here, but you're a late arrival. Don't cross me again or you'll pay."

"Vexen!" Xaldin shouted which made the Academic jump back a bit "Sit."

Vexen slinked obediently back to his seat.

"Now may I continue?" said Xaldin, attempting to make this meeting worthwhile "Now, it was Zexion who came up with it. He also was the one who made sure we closely followed it. When Saïx joined, Zexion performed the first ceremony to show us how it was to be done. He would never decide to refer to us by our birth names."

"Well, thanks for the lesson Xal." Axel said, still not taking it seriously "I still don't see why it's an issue. Maybe he was caught up in a thought or something. I don't know!"

"Number VI is methodical and unwavering in his approach to everything." Vexen replied, letting his feud with Axel subside for a bit "There is no way that he would forget. It's just not in his nature."

"Whatever!" Axel retorted "I could care less! You guys are putting way too much thought in this! And why isn't Mansex, Saïx or Dem here? Huh? Why am I only the one of your 'neophytes' allowed to join you?"

"It's not our place to include Xemnas or Saïx." Xigbar replied "And I asked Lexaeus to invite Demyx. Lex, why isn't he here?"

"I was going to get him like you asked," began the Silent Hero "When I bumped into to him in the hall. I was about to tell him when he said 'Sorry for that Aeleus' and walked off."

Xigbar, Vexen and Xaldin looked at each other.

"Seriously?" Xigbar said to Lexaeus.

"Yes. That's why I didn't ask him to come. He shouldn't have known my true name."

This is worse than we thought." Xaldin said to the group "At any point in your membership did you tell Demyx any of our true names?"

"Never." Vexen said "That's top secret information. It's not written any where except for in Number VI's lexicon. And you know how zealously he guards that."

"So that's the issue at hand huh?" Axel said standing up "An information leak. Maybe Zexy had a, excuse the expression, 'change of heart'. Maybe he told Dem and he thought it would be funny. Either way, you guys are worrying about pretty much nothing."

"It's not nothing!" Xigbar retorted "This could have serious consequences!"  
"Like what?" Axel replied angrily "This is nothing! It's always been nothing!"

"I don't think so." Xaldin said calmly "I may be the only one who's thought of this, but bear with me." Leaning in close, he added "Maybe, _he's_ back."

The other members looked at each other.

"Impossible." Vexen responded "He's gone. He's never coming back."

"But think about it," said Xaldin "Who else used our true names despite having sworn not to? Who else knew us that well from before the change? We all knew how powerful he was. And consider his element. Don't you think that if anyone found a way back into this realm, it would be him?"

"So you think he's in Zexion and Demyx's minds?" Vexen inquired "What ever for? Zexion was the only one who defended him! And he never even met Number IX! You think we'd be the prime targets! Remember Xaldin, you, me, Lexaeus and Number VIII voted against him! We were the one's who made sure that he was banished. If I were in his shoes, we'd be the logical choices."

"But remember," Xigbar added "He never was 'logical'. He was an artist. In his mind, perhaps, he'd rather strike at his judges not his jury. Which means that he'd hit Xemnas and Saïx." Looking at Xaldin, he said "Xal, did anything else seem off about Saïx?"

"I don't know." Xaldin said with a sigh "If he is the one behind this, we're all fucked. And I think we may deserve it."

"Oh now you're feeling guilty for how you voted?" Axel sneered "You seemed so sure then."

"Maybe," Xaldin said sadly "But did he really deserve it?"

"He was dangerous, impulsive and didn't give a damn about our rules." Vexen thundered "What he received is exactly what he deserved."

"Besides Xal," Xigbar said "How were we supposed to know if he could come back or not?"

"Like you're one to talk." Clipped Axel "You voted to let him off the hook."

"Only because the punishment was so severe!"

"Didn't stop you from sending your ex-master there, now did it?"

Xigbar fell silent. That was an extremely low blow for the neophyte to use, bringing up what they did to the Old Man.

"We did what we had to do." He finally said softly "It was the only way. He'd subvert us at every cost and we couldn't allow it. It had to be done."

"Pitiful justification." Axel laughed "But, hey. Whatever helps you sleep at night. I don't care."

"Axel," Xaldin said with a level of menace "Sit down and keep silent. No more will we dredge up ancient history. This is serious. If he is indeed back, we could be next. We need to plan."

"This is all pure speculation!" Vexen countered "We have no proof that he's back. I mean, come on. Granted its a little odd for Zexion and Demyx to use our true names, but is it really important? It could be nothing."

The four other Nobodies looked at each other in silence. Axel finally broke the silence.

"Vexen," he said, a smirk growing across his face "Are you agreeing with me?"

The sudden realization of what he said slowly crossed the Academic's face. But, it was too late. Even though it was exactly in line with what his main opponent in the Castle thought, Vexen couldn't shake the thought that they were worrying over nothing. He was gone. He was never coming back and there's nothing else that they should do about it. The experiment was over.

"That doesn't matter!" Xaldin shouted banging his fist on the table "Maybe he's back or maybe he isn't. It doesn't hurt to cover all our bases. Remember, we were scientists once! We have to plan for every eventuality. If nothing comes of it, then nothing comes it. All we wasted was time. And that's a commodity we have in abundance."

"Xaldin's right." Xigbar agreed "Who knows if we're all in danger or not? Shouldn't we be at least prepared for it?"

"You all do whatever you want." Axel said standing up yet again "As for me, I'm out. Even if he is back and wants to reap a terrible vengeance upon all of us, I'm safe. Hell, I never had any contact with him. All he wanted to do was hang out with his old friends. I've done nothing to him."

And with that, Axel walked towards the door. He was almost out when Luxord came in.

"Hey Lux," said Axel staring at him "What do you want?"

"Something terrible has happened." Number X replied shaken "I think Number VI is dead!"

TO BE CONTINUED…

A/N: Wow. I flew through this one quickly.

This section of the story went through a number of changes. First off, it was appear at the end of the previous chapter, but I thought that ending it with Rutonfex gloating over Saïx's despair was perfect and that this section would be a little superfluous.

Then, I decided to make it the start of the next chapter. It would open up like this and after Luxord says his line, it goes into Demyx's head where he has his encounter with Rutonfex. But once the words were on the page, I couldn't bring myself to continue in this chapter. It was over and I couldn't continue from there.

So, this is just a brief interlude, where we get to see the remaining members go at it. Originally, Xigbar was to be the dominant force, but as I kept writing, Xaldin just came off as a more powerful figure so he took over.

And to FaerieFighter009, while your story had the Org meeting and I did read about it in your review, it's just another brainwave thing. I came up with this section after finishing the first part of Chapter 2. It probably doesn't matter, but I wanted to make it clear that there is no plagiarism involved. That's all.

To the rest of you, just enjoy the chapter. I'll be back with another soon. While I highly appreciate your reviews, I have such a burning desire to tell this story, that it will continue regardless of whether or not I get your reviews. It's already my 3rd highest Alerted story. But, please, leave a review. I love to know what my readers think.

Thank you,

Tim Fortune


	5. Ridi Pagliaccio Part I

Tim Fortune

**Tim Fortune**

**Presents**

**COGNITO**

**Act I Scene V: Ridi Pagliaccio**** Part I**

In his corner of nothingness, our enigmatic stranger sat filled with glee. He was winning! The will of the Diviner had been broken and it wouldn't be too hard for him to completely wreck Myde.

"Just got to find the right buttons." He laughed. That really was all he was doing. Ïas caused his own degradation by giving in to his thoughts and letting them consume him. All he did was goad him enough to get into it.

"Lets see what inner demons Myde has hidden away." He said as he disappeared to begin his torment of the Melodious Nocturne.

**XIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIII**

In his prison, Demyx just sat on his bed. He didn't pace or scream like Zexion or Saïx, he just sat there, doing nothing. What was there for him to do? The cell was empty save for the bed and the monitor that his captor spoke on. He hadn't heard from him since the initial conversation and that was what seemed like hours ago. He slowly felt himself going crazy from the boredom.

Besides, who was it that captured him? The voice didn't sound at all familiar, but yet he seemed to know Demyx. So well that he used his true name.

These thoughts weighed heavy on the Nocturne's mind as he sat and waited for, well, anything. It didn't matter what it was, just so long as something happened.

And shortly thereafter, something did happen.

A voice, the same voice that had taunted him from the monitor said distantly in an almost sing-song manner "Empty spaces, what are we living for? Abandoned places, I guess we know the score. On and on, does anybody know what we are looking for?"

Demyx stood up from the bed. He looked to the monitor to see if the shadow that accompanied the voice had returned, but it remained as blank as it when he signed off.

The voice continued "Another hero? Another mindless crime? Behind the curtain, in the pantomime. Hold the line; does anybody want to take it anymore?"

Demyx moved closer to the wall and then he fell right through it. Suddenly, he found himself lying on the floor of his bedroom in the Castle. Everything was exactly as it should be. His bed sat under his window with the sheets he never made still lying on top of it. His desk right next to still looked incredibly cluttered; so much so that it was merely a drop off point for papers and books that otherwise didn't have a place. On the far wall, his CDs still hung in their sleeves next to his bookshelf, which was cluttered with comic books, and in the chair next to it, sat someone he'd never seen before.

As he was sitting, Demyx couldn't make an accurate depiction of his height, but it probably wasn't that great, maybe just average. From underneath his long hair, there were two headphones over his ears and he had his eyes closed as he hummed along to the music.

Demyx got up and walked over to the stranger. Since he probably couldn't see him or hear him, he tapped him on the shoulder.

His eyes suddenly shot open.

"Well hello Myde." He said as he removed his headphones, the vestiges of the song he was listening to still playing. Reaching over he turned off the stereo "I was wondering when you'd get here."

"And you are?" Demyx asked.

"Of course!" the stranger replied, a creepy smile coming across his face "Of all the members of this group of failures, you're the only one who never knew me. And trust me; you don't know what you missed."

"Uh, okay." Said Demyx, a slightly nervous smile now on his face.

"Please allow me to introduce myself," he said "I'm Rutonfex, The Dark Artisan. Number IX in the Organization."

"Yeah, I think you got a detail wrong there." Demyx responded, almost apologetically "_I'm_ Number IX."

"And that's why you're here." His captor replied.

"Where?" said Demyx looking around "My bedroom?"

"My, my, my," Rutonfex said shaking his head "You really are a slow one. You're in a prison conceived by a genius and devised by an idiot. Your very mind!"

"Really?" Demyx said with a hint of sarcasm "If this was really my mind, then this place would be bigger, there'd be a Jacuzzi over there in the corner and it would filled wall to wall with…well, you know."

"Now, now." Said Rutonfex wagging a finger "We've got to keep things PG." Leaning in close to the Nocturne, he added "Granted a few of those would be nice."

A rather large smile went across Demyx's face. Indeed, a few of _those_ would be nice.

"Anyway, Myde." Continued The Artisan standing up from his chair "You're the person I have the most against."

"What did I ever do to you?" challenged the Nocturne "As far as I can tell, I've never met you."

"As I was gone for two weeks before you showed up." He said "And what did they do? They didn't acknowledge my presence in the Organization. They didn't say I was missing and keep my slot open, thus making you _Number X_. No. They acted like I never existed and gave _my_ number to you!"

"Sounds like you're angrier at them than me." Replied Demyx, a little anxious to be rid of him "Why don't you go deal with them? After all, I didn't really do anything to you."

"Ïas tried the same bargain." Said Rutonfex, his smile growing slightly larger "And now he's catatonic."

"Ïas?" Demyx asked "Who's Ïas?"

Rutonfex dropped his smile and rolled his eyes. "Saïx!" he answered.

"Saïx?" exclaimed Demyx "Really?"

"Oh yeah." He replied, the smile back on his face "I had him crying like a little bitch at the end there."

Demyx just let out an impressed whistle.

"I'm glad you like my work Myde." Rutonfex said, extremely pleased. Walking up to the Nocturne, he put his arm around his shoulder "If I was still a member when you came, you and me, we would be best friends. The stuff of legends. But alas, you replaced me. You have to pay."

And Rutonfex disappeared. Demyx just looked up and around and shouted "It wasn't me! I didn't even know you existed! Don't take it out on me just cuz the other 8 pissed you off! C'mon! Please?"

But all he found himself was shrouded in darkness and he disappeared from his bedroom.

**XIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIII**

Vexen, Lexaeus, Xigbar and Xaldin burst into Zexion's room and that's where they found him. He was lying on the ground, his rolled back in his head, his leg slightly twitching and a tiny trickle of blood running out of his mouth.

Vexen went up to him and placing his head on his chest, he proclaimed "He's still breathing! Get him to the lab!"

Xaldin and Xigbar opened a path to darkness and with Lexaeus carrying the Schemer's unconscious body, they all stepped through.

A short time later, they were in the lab. Lexaeus put Zexion on the lab table and Vexen took a handheld scanner from a nearby table and began running it across his body, with particular emphasis on his head. After collecting the data he needed, he took a hypospray and injected something into Zexion's neck.

"Well?" said Xigbar anxiously.

"He'll live." Vexen responded, putting a blanket over his comrade "I don't know what caused it, but according to the data I collected, he had a minor stroke."

Xaldin and Xigbar looked at each other.

"Are you shitting me?" exclaimed Xigbar "A stroke? Seriously?"

"I'm quite serious Number II." Vexen said washing his hands in a nearby sink "Shall I simplify it for you? A blood vessel burst in his brain and he fell unconscious to the floor. I have him stabilized and there doesn't seem to be any long term damage."

"Yeah, but a stroke?" Xigbar said angrily "Twenty-two year olds in near perfect health all of a sudden don't have strokes!"

"I'm only reporting what I found in the data!" shouted Vexen "You can't change that!"

"Are you that deep in denial that you can't see that something is obviously wrong with this picture?"

"I only report facts." Replied Vexen "It's not my job to analyze them."

"That's why you were a piss poor lab assistant." The Freeshooter exclaimed "You took the notes and let us do all the hard work. You ever wonder why you have the lowest throne in the castle? It's because you don't do shit!"

"You watch your mouth." Vexen said, anger rising in his voice "You may outrank me, but not by much."

"And then there's the rank thing!" said Xigbar rolling his eye "I explain this to every newbie and you're the only one who takes it fucking seriously. For such a genius, you're really retarded."

"That's it!" Vexen exclaimed, his shield appearing in his hand "You and me! Let's go!"

"Thought you'd never ask." Xigbar said with a smile, his guns spinning in his hands "Though I doubt that shield could block bullets that can move in all directions."

"We'll just have to test that won't we?"

"ENOUGH!" Xaldin shouted as a gust of wind blew the two opponents and pinned them to opposite walls "The two of you are acting like children! God in Heaven, could you both act your ages at least once?"

Letting them down from the walls, the Lancer continued "Put the weapons away and let's think about this. Zexion has suffered a stroke. That's highly unusual for someone his age, but not impossible. This could be foul play or it could just be biology."

He walked up to Zexion's unconscious body.

"Oh, Zexion," he said just looking at him sleeping peacefully "What is going on? Give us a clue!"

"As much as I'd hate to interrupt this session of male bonding," Axel said from behind as he walked into the lab "I have some shocking news."

The other four turned their heads to look at the Flurry.

"It seems like Saïx is in a coma." He said smugly. Noticing Zexion lying unconscious on the table, he pointed at him "What's with him?"

**XIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIII**

Demyx lifted his hands off his eyes and found himself in yet another familiar place. Although he hadn't been there in years, he still remembered it vividly.

"Dino's?" he exclaimed "I'm back at Dino's?" He laughed. Maybe this wasn't going to be so painful after all.

Settling in at a barstool, he looked over at the bartender who had his back turned.

"Excuse me," he said "Can I get a drink?"

The bartender turned around and it was none other than Rutonfex.

"What's your poison?" he said as he wiped a glass.

"Huh?" Demyx's jaw dropped "Where's Dino?"

"He got the night off." The Artisan smiled "I'm taking over for the time being."

"How'd we get here?"

"Hello, hello Myde? Anyone there?" Rutonfex said as he tapped Demyx's head "We're still in your mind! Welcome to the corner of Things Past and Memory Lane."

"So, this is just a vision right?" Demyx said hopefully "Nothing can harm me?"

Rutonfex didn't respond. Instead, he pulled out a lime knife and drove it deep into the Nocturne's hand.

"Ah fuck!"

"Who said anything about nothing harming you?" said Rutonfex as Demyx tried to wiggle the knife free.

"But isn't just a (ah goddamn it) a vision?" Demyx said finally getting the knife out.

"It's your memory." Rutonfex said "You're just getting a more objective view. Here." He handed Demyx a shot glass. The Nocturne quickly downed it.

"So what are we doing here? I have thousands of memories. If this just some crazed trip down Memory Lane, couldn't you have found a more painful one? I mean, I've been here dozens of times. Trust me, only good things happened here."

"Did they?" was Rutonfex's parting words as he disappeared.

"That's really annoying you know!" Demyx shouted as he looked towards the ceiling. He stared there for a while and then turned back towards the bar.

"What's he talking about?" he said as he reached behind the bar and pulled out a bottle "Nothing but good things happened here. What could possibly be pain…ful?"

He looked up as she walked in. A radiant beauty beyond all others, with green eyes that sparkled and short cut blonde hair combed backwards behind her ears.

"Arlene?" he exclaimed.

**XIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIII**

"Well, he's stable." Vexen said removing his scanner away from Saïx "I don't know what happened to him, but evidently it was enough to cause him to go catatonic."

"Does anybody else find it odd that we now have two members down?" Xigbar inquired "And not only that, they're down with brain related issues? Isn't that too big of a coincidence?"

"Xigbar's right." Agreed Xaldin "This is connected in some way."

"Or it's just an odd coincidence!" exclaimed Vexen slamming the drawer he put his scanner in "Odd things happen. It's just the way it is!"

"Really?" said Xigbar incredulously "You're that far in denial?"

"I'm not in denial! I just don't think there's really anything to worry about."

"Saïx and Zexion are laying unconscious right in front of us! And that's something not to worry about?"

"Jesus Christ!" yelled Xaldin "Do I have to separate you two?" Turning to Vexen he said "Maybe you're right. Maybe this is just an odd coincidence. Or maybe you're just full of shit. This is too coincidental to be happenstance. Someone is planning this. And we all know who."

"I keep telling you!" Vexen shouted "He's gone and he's not coming back! He can't come back!"

"You know that for a fact?"

"Yes I do! Follow me!"

Xigbar and Xaldin followed the Academic out of the lab and through the castle. They didn't say a word to each other as they walked the silent corridors, occasionally passing a Dusk who was running routine maintenance work.

Eventually they made their way to the courtyard of the Castle That Never Was. Vexen pointed to a rock.

"There!"

The other two looked around.

"What?" asked Xigbar "Where's your proof?"

"Right here!" said Vexen going up to the rock and pointing at a small symbol carved near the bottom. Xigbar and Xaldin went up to see it for themselves. They looked closely at the symbol found it to be a cutlass. _His_ weapon.

"And what does that mean?" said Xigbar.

"This is where he's buried!" exclaimed Vexen exasperated.

**XIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIII**

"Ahh, so she has a name?" said Rutonfex as he appeared suddenly next to Demyx.

"If you've been running around my brain, you should've known that." Demyx replied, keeping his eyes fixated on the sublime beauty that walked in.

"Yeah, but that's a bit of reading." He responded, a glass of orange liquid appearing in his hand. Taking a sip of his drink, he added "Besides, this one was buried so deep down; I'm not at all surprised you can't quite recall it."

Taking his eyes off her, the Nocturne looked right at Rutonfex.

"Does that mean…"

"Oh yes Myde." The Artisan said with a laugh "It does. Have fun."

And he disappeared yet again.

TO BE CONTINUED…

A/N: Yeah, this was originally supposed to be longer, but I don't know. Sometimes, you just know when to stop for now.

A few notes for the musically illiterate. The title is from the aria "Vesti la Giubba" from the opera "Pagliacci". It means "Laugh Paccliaccio". Its significance will be shown in the next chapter.

Rutonfex is singing the first verse of "The Show Must Go On" by Queen and his line "Please allow me to introduce myself…" is the opening line of "Sympathy from the Devil" by The Rolling Stones.

And as for the medical treatment described, I used the only source I was familiar with; Star Trek. Yeah, I don't watch House or ER or Scrubs, so I have no familiarity with medicine, so I just know what I've seen in Star Trek, which is exactly what I've described in the chapter.

Just a few notes. I'll be back soon with Part II.

Enjoy,

The Magnificent Tim Fortune


	6. Ridi Pagliaccio Part II

Tim Fortune

**Tim Fortune**

**Presents**

**COGNITO**

**Act I Scene VI: Ridi Pa****gliaccio Part II**

He kept watching her as she took her seat right next to him at the bar. Demyx couldn't take his eyes off her. She was so...

"Perfect." He said under his breath. Although he was sure that no one could see or hear him during the course, he did his best to remain inconspicuous.

Arlene was the woman of his dreams. Smart, beautiful, the complete package. How he wanted to just grab her and plant a long passionate kiss on those perfect lips of hers. But, once again, he was inside his memory and couldn't do a damn thing.

"Let's see, a good looking girl like her and a wonderful guy like you, I wonder why you two never got together?" said a voice directly above him. Demyx turned and looked up. There was Rutonfex, just floating in a lounge position right above the Nocturne.

"Oh, now of all a sudden you're interested in my love life?" said Demyx, somewhat annoyed "What happened to making me suffer for something that isn't even my fault?"

"In due time Myde, in due time." The Artisan said as he floated to the ground and sat in the stool on the other side of Demyx "I'm not allowed to have a little fun with my captives first? C'mon, I'll get you another drink."

Suddenly a large flamboyant cocktail appeared in Number IX's hand.

"That is what you like right?" said Rutonfex with a smile, his orange drink appearing again in his hand.

"Sure, why not?" replied Demyx sarcastically. He took a sip and found that he did sort of enjoy it.

"So, anyway, between me and you," Rutonfex said leaning closer to Demyx "Why didn't things work out with her?"

"Well…" Demyx began to answer when all of a sudden the door to the bar burst open and in walked a group of people. They were a motley sort of group, particularly their leader, a young man with long light brown hair gelled back, who was wearing a black leather jacket with a red t-shirt to some band underneath it.

"Ladies and gentlemen, may I have your attention please!" the young man shouted "It is I, Myde! The Ayatollah of Rock and Rollah and I'm here to ROOOOOCCKKKK!!" The last part was in an incredibly high falsetto.

"Yeah." Was all Demyx said turning back to his drink.

"Okay, you were a dick." His captor replied "Commendable."

"Commendable?" exclaimed the Nocturne "I was brainless, arrogant, self-centered and…" he lowered his voice slightly "It probably cost me the woman of my dreams."

"Huh." Was all Rutonfex said as he took another sip of his drink.

**XIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIII**

"What the hell are you talking about Vexen?" asked Xigbar, even more annoyed with the Academic than before "Buried? He was banished to the Realm of Nothing! How can he be buried?"

"Well…" began the Academic…

_**3 months ago**_

_After the trial, the Superior, Saïx and I went with the prisoner to the furthest corner of the lab where we kept the portal to Nothingness_

"_Any last words?" asked Saïx as we all stared into the void._

"_None whatsoever." The prisoner said smugly. Unlike his usual smirking self, he was oddly composed. I guess staring your own doom in the face has a sobering effect on people._

"_Then let's begin." Saïx motioned to Number I._

"_Rutonfex," said Xemnas solemnly "You have been found guilty of grievous crimes against the Organization. As voted by a jury of your peers, you are hereby sentenced to the Realm of Nothingness. May whatever finds you there have mercy on your soul._

_The prisoner took a step forward and then instantly collapsed. I rushed up to him with a scanner, just case something like this happened._

"_Well?" Xemnas asked as I stood up._

"_He's, um…" I hesitated "Dead."_

"_Dead?" Saïx replied "Let me see that." I handed him my scanner and he looked it over._

"_Number IV's right Superior." He replied as he threw my scanner back to me "Somehow our erstwhile member has shuffled off this mortal coil."_

"_Impossible." Was Xemnas' response "His body would have disappeared." But to himself he added "At least that's what happened to the others." By that he meant all the Dusks he experimented on to test his new plane of existence._

"_Well, he's gone isn't he?" I added "That's what we wanted, isn't it?"_

"_Vexen's right." Replied Saïx "We wanted that nuisance out of our hair and wish granted."_

"_That's true. But something about this doesn't seem right."_

"_I think I may have a theory." I interjected "Given what element he had control over, it stands to reason that he probably projected his consciousness into the Void, leaving behind his empty shell of a body."_

"_Perhaps." Xemnas said rubbing his chin with his hand "Ah, well. Best not to worry about it. The important thing is that we've carried out his sentence and he's gone. Please dispose of the shell in any manner you see fit."_

_Motioning to Saïx, they walked out of the room, leaving me alone with the body of our former comrade._

_I was about to summon Axel, give the arrogant little shit something to burn that didn't belong to me, when I had a sudden stroke of inspiration._

"_Such a waste." I said looking down. Who knew what secrets I could learn from this shell? Of course, I couldn't begin my experiments right away…_

"So, I froze the corpse and had Lexaeus help me bury it. To recall where it was and to make sure I wrote nothing down about this, I placed a little reminder for myself on the rock that would go unnoticed by anyone other than myself. And there you see gentlemen, why I'm certain he can't come back. He has no body to return to and why would he wish to confine himself to be a mere thought?"

Xigbar and Xaldin looked at each other.

"Why you self-deluded prick!" yelled Xigbar as he lunged at the Academic, knocking him to the ground "This is probably why he could've came back! He had an anchor to lock on to!"

"He's not back! He's not!" Vexen screamed, trying to get free from Xigbar's powerful grasp.

"Who're you trying to convince? Us or yourself?" said Xigbar landing a punch on the Academic's face "We already know the truth! You're the one in denial about it!"

"Xigbar, get your hands off him or so help me God, I will rip them off myself!" thundered Xaldin. Xigbar got off from him and went next to the Lancer.

"Listen!" he shouted as he grabbed the Freeshooter by the shoulders "We may have a clue as to what we're dealing with or we may be completely off. But you attacking Vexen at every opportunity is not going to help us. Besides, this could be what he wants. A big final 'Fuck you!' to the rest of us. He probably put this in motion months ago so that we would turn against each other and give him a big old jolly from wherever he is. Don't give in! For the sake of Zexion and Saïx, we're going to figure this out!"

He dropped Xigbar and turned to Vexen.

"As for you, just stop it. You've done nothing but convince us we're wrong this entire time and I'm sick of it. Either open your mind or leave us alone. It's your choice."

"Well, then gentlemen," he said getting up from the ground "I bid you good day and leave you to your wild goose chase."

The Academic turned and left for the interior of the castle.

"I swear, I'm going to kill him." Xigbar said as soon as Vexen was out of earshot "One night, I'm going to go into his room and put a bullet in his head. That's all."

"Easy there Xigbar." Xaldin said taking a seat in a nearby bench "Before you go off on your revenge fantasy, let's piece together what we have so far."

Counting off on his fingers, he said "First, we've got three members acting slightly out of character, doing things that don't quite fit them and using our true names. And second, we've got two members locked away in our infirmary with brain-related issues."

"You know, when you say it aloud, maybe our suspicions are unfounded." Said Xigbar sitting on the bench next to him "I mean, I believe you when you say that maybe he's the one behind all this, but it's just guesswork." And under his breath he added, almost reluctantly "Maybe Vexen's right after all. Maybe this is something we shouldn't be worried about."

"Who knows?" Xaldin said putting his head in his hands "Zexion was always better at piecing these bits and pieces together to form solid clues and now what? He's lying unconscious in a hospital bed for something that may or may not be foul play."

Standing up, he shouted to the sky "JUST GIVE US A FUCKING CLUE!"

"Alright then," a voice said from behind them "You guys are a bunch of ignorant retards that are wasting your time on something that's completely unimportant. That a big enough clue for you?"

The Freeshooter and the Lancer turned around and there was Axel leaning against a tree, arms crossed with an incredibly smug smile across his face.

"Oh, hello Axel." Xigbar said angrily "What brings you out here?"

"You know me; just wandering around doing what I think is cool." He responded "Plus, I wanted see how you guys were doing with your little 'investigation'. From what I can gather, it ain't going so well. My advice, give up."

"Give up?" replied Xaldin "Give up? Okay then Axel. We'll give up. We'll just leave Zexion and Saïx to suffer alone in the lab while we go about our lives like nothings happening. Just like you, every single day. Sure, we'll be saving ourselves a lot of trouble if none of our suspicions pan out, but what if? Just humor me, but what if, we're correct? What if our inaction causes all of us to be doomed? Remember, if this is who we think it is, then we're not dealing with a sane, rational mind! Plus, who knows what fun tortures he could conjure up? Would you like that on your conscious? It'll at least give you something to think about as you're blasted in your own private Hell, that for one moment there was a chance to nip this thing in the bud and stop it before it got too out of control. So, are you going to stand there and laugh at us or are you going to help us?"

Axel just stared at them in the same position. Lowering his arms, he walked up to them.

"Seeing as I have nothing better to do…"

**XIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIII**

"That's all you have to say?" said Demyx "Huh? That's it?"

"Yeah." Replied Rutonfex taking another sip.

"So no comments? No jokes? No put downs?" Demyx exclaimed "I've known you for maybe a half-hour and that's all you've pretty much done!"

"I guess so."

"Oh you guess so? You guess so?"

"Yep."

"You know, I thought that the jokes and put downs and the way you keep appearing and disappearing was annoying, but this…" said Demyx exasperated.

"Myde," Rutonfex said with faux-restrained anger "Could you kindly shut up? I want to watch the show?"

"What are you…" the Nocturne began, as Rutonfex grabbed his head and turned it towards the back of the bar, where a makeshift stage had been set up complete with all the instruments needed for a show.

"Oh." Was Demyx's response as he took a deep drink of his cocktail.

Myde had taken the stage, guitar in hand.

"This one goes out to the hottie sitting at the bar over bar! Stand up Arlene!"

Demyx turned from his former self to Arlene next to him. All she did was bury her head in her hands from embarrassment.

"No?" Myde said, playfully disappointed "Alright then! This still goes out to you! _2, 3, 4_!"

The band began playing the song, with Myde gleefully singing and playing guitar. He had most of the bar swaying in time and clapping with the music. Arlene, on the other hand, just kept her head in her hands. Demyx tried not to look at her, as he was suddenly remembering this event all too well.

Myde then began the chorus of the song "_You were born to be my baby and baby I was made to be your man! We've got something to believe in, even if we don't know where we stand!_"

He then jumped off the stage and made his way through the crowd, still singing.

"_Only God would know the reason and but I bet he must have had a plan_."

Myde then stood right in front of Arlene, threw his guitar behind his back, picked her up from her seat and sang "_Cuz you were born to be my baby and baby I was made to be your man!_" Finally ending it with planting a long passionate kiss on her lips. Her eyes widened with horror and shock at what he was doing and their lips finally parted, she punched right in the face.

"Feisty! Grrr!" He said lying on his back.

"Asshole." She shouted as she kicked him in a, well rather sensitive area, and walked off.

Demyx put his head in his hands, as Rutonfex laughed.

"Now THAT was great!" he said, nearly spilling his drink as he was doubling over with laughter "I can see why you wanted to repress this. Nothing like a kick to the nuts to make any memory terrible."

"Could we end this please?"

"Why? You're just embarrassed, not broken. Although, I'd hate to be you during this night."

Suddenly, Rutonfex's eyes lit up.

"You know," he began leaning close to Demyx "I'm beginning to think that maybe you're right."

Demyx lifted his head from his hands and look straight at the Artisan.

"Huh?"

"You really didn't do anything to deserve the fate I have in store for you, so why should you?"

"Yeah." Replied Demyx, his mood growing a little brighter "Yeah!"

"So, seeing that at heart, I'm a very nice guy, I'm going to do something special for you."

Rutonfex snapped his fingers and Demyx found himself back in his bedroom. The Artisan was no where to be found.

"Okay, so I'm here again."

_Again?_

"Who said that?" he exclaimed turning around.

_Just me._

"Well, where are you?"

_I'm in your head, where I've always been. You're the one that's left._

Demyx scoffed.

_You need proof?_

"Obviously."

_Summon a water form._

Demyx rolled his eyes and did so. To his surprise, one appeared.

"So, I'm back in the…"

_Yes Myde. You're back in reality._

"Well, thanks a bunch." Demyx said, now anxious to be rid of his enigmatic captor "Just leave me be and go on do, whatever it is you do."

_Myde, you wound me. Alright, I'll go, but first, I have a present for you._

A portal of darkness opened up suddenly in front of him. While that startled him, he was not prepared for what floated out.

Dressed serenely in a white dress, Arlene came out in all her magnificent beauty. Her eyes were half closed, but she looked peaceful.

She floated over to Demyx and touched down right in front of him.

"Is this some sort of sick joke?"

_Not at all Myde. She's all yours._

Demyx's mouth opened in surprise.

"R-really?" he stammered "H-how did you do that?"

_Same way I got into your head without you knowing me. I was just lucky I happened to catch one of your shows way back when. I was just a face in the crowd, but it was enough to gain a foothold. The same for her. She was there too and saw me. So, I went in and she's all yours._

"But, I…I couldn't."

_Could you? I've seen your fantasies. This is the moment you've dreamed of for years. But, if you don't want it…_

Arlene floated up again and began to back into the still open portal.

"Wait!" Demyx said grabbing her shoulders and getting pulled along too "You're right."

_So, you accept?_

"I accept." The portal closed and she stopped floating.

_I'll leave you two kids alone._

Demyx waited for a few seconds to see if something else connected to the stranger would happen. When nothing did, she moved closer to Arlene.

"All mine." He said softly. He took her in his arms and gave her an incredibly long passionate kiss, as he lowered the shoulder straps on her dress…

**XIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIII**

Arlene suddenly opened her eyes and found herself in an unfamiliar place. She didn't know how she got there or what had happened before. She looked over and saw a familiar face, lowering the shoulder straps on her dress.

"WHAT THE FUCK DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING??" she shouted pushing him away "WHERE AM I AND HOW DID I GET HERE??"

"Please be calm…" he said coming towards her defensively "I was only…"

"Only going to rape me." She replied, extreme anger burning in her eyes "Is this your new low Myde? Huh? I don't see you making advances on me for months, and now you've abducted me and…" she paused looking at his outfit "What kind of bizarre fetish gear are you wearing?"

"This?" he said looking down "Don't worry about it."

"That's the least of my worries." She said "Jesus Christ, you're pathetic. No matter how many times I hit you, yell at you, and say 'get the fuck away from me', you still keep pursuing me. Why?"

Demyx opened his mouth to speak, but Arlene cut him off.

"Don't bother answering. Face it Myde, you suck. Practically everything you've done with your life has been for my benefit and I don't need nor want it! Give up! You're a pointless waste of life that should have killed himself ages ago. Hell, you should have pulled the trigger on the night you first saw me. I made it clear then and I've been attempting the same forever, but you still don't get it. It's time to give up this pointless little fantasy of yours. I hate you and I don't want anything to do with you! The basic fact of the matter is, I FEEL SICK JUST LOOKING AT YOU! Now, get me the fuck out of here!"

"As…as you wish." Demyx said, softly and sadly and opened up a portal "Just walk through and you'll be home. Just forget about me."

"Don't worry, I plan to."

Arlene stepped through the portal. It was a trippy experience.

"Bastard." She snarled. Was he seriously going to do what she thought he was going to?

"Knowing the little idiot, probably."

She wouldn't have put it past him. Ever since they met, who knows how long ago, he seemed to be under the impression that she was the one for him. She's screeched at him, slapped him, kneed him in the balls a few times, but nothing's ever seen to go through to him.

But tonight, he crossed the line.

Arlene let out a screech to the sky over what almost happened and then felt, well odd.

Her chest seemed like it was bursting apart. She doubled over as the pain became almost unbearable and then there was nothing. No feeling at all.

She stood up. She didn't have a clue what was going on. Putting her hand on her chest, she felt…no heartbeat. In fact, she didn't even feel anything at all.

**XIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIII**

Demyx stood in absolute shock, but realized…

"She was right."

His entire life was practically for the pursuit of her and she made her feelings known completely.

His life was a waste. And what now?

Walking out of his room, he went into the hallways. Walking slowly, he kept his head down.

After a while of walking, he encountered Luxord, who was just in the hallways.

"Demyx," he said turning to follow him, as the Nocturne kept walking "Where are you going?"

"I'm going to kill myself." He replied as he walked faster leaving the Gambler of Fate alone in the hallway.

TO BE CONTINUED…

A/N: _And it's so easy when you're evil…_

Can't wait for the reviews on this one. Just a quick note before I sign off.

The song that Myde is singing for Arlene is "Born to be my Baby" by Bon Jovi. I suggest you listen to it when you read that section.

Anyway, I patiently await your reviews,

The Magnificent Tim Fortune


	7. Heaven on Their Minds

Tim Fortune

**Tim Fortune**

**Presents**

**COGNITO**

**Act I Scene VII: Heaven on Their Minds**

"We've got nothing! Nothing!" said Xigbar exasperated "We've got two 'clues' that could or couldn't mean anything, and just a lot of paranoia."

Sighing, he sat down.

"Maybe that arrogant bastard is right." He conceded "Maybe there is nothing to worry about."

"Or that could be all part of his plan." Xaldin said, beginning to pace around the room they were in "Think about it. If I were an insane, irrational genius with the level of power he has, attempting to work in secret, I'd probably want to set everyone against one another so I could get more done. At least, that's what I'd do."

"It all seemed right a few hours ago." Sighed Xigbar "Now that we've put thought into this, nothing fits."

"Well, I'm done." Axel said getting up from his seat "You're both insane and this is boring. Peace."

He walked towards the door, when Luxord suddenly burst in.

"Well, hiya Lux," Axel said with a smile "Any more bad news you've got for us?"

"Only that I think Demyx is going to kill himself." He responded sarcastically "Does that count as bad news?"

"Seriously?" said Axel laughing "The little idiot's finally gonna off himself? Oh man. I gotta see this! Where is he?"

"Last I saw him he was heading for the direction of the fountain."

Xaldin and Xigbar rushed out of the room, with Axel following behind at his own leisure, laughing the entire time.

**XIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIII**

In a corner of darkness, the Dark Artisan smiled. Victory was assured. All he had to do was cause Xehanort some horrendous mental damage and all was complete.

With the taste of it in his mouth, he came to a decision. Why should he keep his activities a secret anymore? What's the point of doing something as magnificent as this, if no one knows about it?

There was none.

"Let them know!"

And thus, he began his downfall.

**XIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIII**

_Well, here it goes._ Thought Demyx as he plunged in his head into the decorative fountain. But as soon as he went in, he was quickly pulled out.

Xaldin had grabbed him by the hood of his robe. With water dripping from his hair, he coughed out a large amount of water.

"What'd you do that for?" he shouted, gasping for air as he did.

"Really?" Axel said turning his head to the side "You're really going to ask that particular question?"

The Flurry let out a loud laugh. "Wow. Just wow."

"Axel, shut it." Xaldin said, still keeping a firm grasp on the Nocturne "Now Demyx, why did you just try to drown yourself?"

"Because I have no reason to exist…"

"You're a Nobody!" Axel interrupted, still doubling over with laughter "You don't exist to begin with!"

"You know what I mean!"

"For the love of God Axel, please shut the fuck up!" shouted Xaldin. Turning to Demyx he said "Continue."

"My life is pointless. It always was, and it always will be." Demyx replied "So, let me just end it."

"I'm afraid we can't let you do that." Said Xaldin. Leaning over to Xigbar he said "Get Vexen. Tell him to grab a hypo…"

He didn't finish, as Axel threw a massive right hook into Demyx's face. The Nocturne slumped over unconscious.

"AXEL!" roared Xaldin "What the fuck was that for?"

"He was going to be unconscious anyway." Said Axel matter of factly "I just saved you people a trip. You should actually be thanking me."

Xaldin instead summoned a gust of wind to blow the Flurry far away from them.

"Or don't." Axel said distantly "Either way!"

Xaldin just shook his head.

"Idiotic little prick." He said. Summoning a miniature tornado, the whirlwind picked up Demyx's unconscious body.

"C'mon Xigbar. Let's get him to the lab."

For a while they walked silently through the seeming endless corridors of the Castle. Neither one turned and said anything to the other until Xigbar broke the silence.

"Why do you think Dem would of a sudden want to kill himself? He's always been cheery and up beat, at least that's what I've seen of him."

"Maybe, this is another clue."

"Maybe!" Xigbar exclaimed "Maybe! Maybe! Maybe! I regret ever bringing up my suspicions on Zex. It's done nothing but made you jump at shadows!"

"You know I never do that Xigbar." Replied Xaldin.

"Well, like some crazed conspiracy theorist, you're piecing random threads together. You're the only one who actually cares now!"

"Oh am I?" Xaldin said turning around suddenly to face the Freeshooter "Not more than two hours ago you were willing to shoot Vexen because he made the same arguments you are now."

"Maybe! But, c'mon! This is starting to become a little nuts here. Zex acts slightly out of character, Saïx is in a coma and now Dem tried to off himself. Are they connected? I don't know!"

"So you want to ignore it now? Is that it?"

"No! I'm just starting to think that maybe we're putting too much thought into this."

"Which is precisely what he wants."

"Oh here we go again!" shouted Xigbar throwing his hands in the air "Bringing him into it again!"

"You agreed with me!"

"Did I say that I agreed? No. I just never said I disagreed. There's a subtle difference!"

"Hardly."

"Point is, I'm not completely buying your little revenge theory. Sure he was powerful, but I doubt he's this powerful. And as much as it pains me to admit it, Vexen may be right. Christ almighty, we saw where the guy's buried! And I don't think that personality lasts long in Nothingness."

"Okay fine." Xaldin said "It looks like I'm the only one who really cares about this Organization of ours."

"Perhaps."

"So, that's it, eh? You're going to fiddle as what we've created burns? All because we all can't get along?"

"We could never get along! It was evident as far back as when we were whole! We were just thrown together by chance. At best, we learned to tolerate each other. Then, we founded this 'Organization'! We recruited Saïx, Axel, Demyx, Luxord, and yes, even him! And that was only because we had one similarity!" Xigbar slapped his hand on his chest at the spot where his heart should have been "There's nothing beating right here!"

"We gave them purpose and order, what more could they want?"

"Oh, I don't know, maybe a FUCKING HEART!"

"Ah, so now we're getting into our own little inadequacies, eh?" Xaldin replied "Well, therapy is closed. If you were going to be this resentful, you should have never walked through that door."

"Maybe I shouldn't have."

"Then your fate would have been the same as the Old Man's. Don't get me wrong, you're a highly capable fighter and member of this group, but that doesn't mean I'd necessarily cry at your funeral."

"Same to you buddy."

"Well, there! We hate each other, nice to have that out in the open!"

"Yeah, it's a real thrill."

The two stared at each other, mutual hatred burning in their eyes.

"So are you just going to leave Dem spinning there?" Xigbar said pointing at Demyx, who had spent the entire argument just floating on the mini-tornado.

"No. I'll continue onward to the lab. You go do whatever you want. This is a solo investigation from now on."

Xaldin started walking down the hallway, with the Nocturne's unconscious body close behind.

"Like you'll get very far on your own!"

Although he was further down the hallway, he was still in Xigbar's eyesight, so Xaldin just raised his middle finger to the Freeshooter.

"Douche." He said as he turned and walked away.

_Now I wouldn't be too hard on poor Dilan. He's been through a lot lately._

Xigbar turned around sharply.

"Who said that?"

_Just little old me_. An all too familiar voice said inside his head.

A look of horror crossed the Freeshooter's face.

"HOLY SHIT!" he exclaimed.

**XIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIII**

"Alright," Vexen said putting away his hypospray in a drawer "I have him sedated and restrained. If he's that desperate to kill himself, we've got to do everything to stop him."

"But the fact that he tried to do it in the first place doesn't strike you as odd?"

"Please, the little idiot was always so cheerful and peppy; it was just a matter of time before he snapped. I'm just glad that he chose to turn it inward rather than outward."

"Fine then." Xaldin turned and was about to leave the lab, when Xigbar burst in.

"You're right! You are fucking right!"

"Right about what?"

"HIM! He is the one behind it all!"

"This again?" Vexen said, rolling his eyes "What 'proof' do you have this time?"

"He spoke to me!" Xigbar said with deadly seriousness "Inside my head."

"Looks like you snapped too. I have just the thing for that." Vexen pulled another hypo out of a nearby drawer and started to approach the Freeshooter.

"I haven't gone crazy or anything like that. I swear to God, he spoke to me!"

"Well what exactly did he say?" Xaldin inquired.

"Nothing important."

"So, he's taunting us now. I'm not surprised."

Vexen turned and walked towards the back of the lab. "Idiots!" he shouted.

"Anyway Xal," Xigbar said "I'm sorry for what I said earlier, it was just, God! We were going around in circles on this and you were just so dead set on this, and I was seeing an end…"

"Apology accepted Xigbar." Xaldin said with a smile "It doesn't matter. We're right. Now we have to figure how to stop him."

"Jesus, every time I come in here there's some sort of therapy session going on." Said Axel just casually walking into the lab.

"What do you want Axel?" Vexen said with a sneer.

"Oh I just came to tell you that Xemnas wants us all in the Throne Room." Leaning over, he saw the three unconscious bodies of Saïx, Zexion and Demyx "Those three can skip I guess."

He walked out of the room.

The remaining three looked at each other and shrugged. If Xemnas called, they had to listen. They walked out the door and down the hallways to the Throne Room.

"So, what do you think he wants?" Xigbar asked.

"It's probably nothing." Replied Xaldin "Just a status update, that sort of thing."

When they reached the room, Luxord, Axel, and Lexaeus were all sitting on their respective thrones. Xemnas had yet to arrive.

Xigbar, Xaldin, and Vexen took their seats. As Xemnas wasn't there yet, all thrones were ground level. At his arrival, they would rise to each's respective height.

After around ten minutes, the six Nobodies looked at each other. Where the hell was Xemnas?

"Okay, seriously." Axel said impatiently "If he ain't here in about 30 seconds, I'm gone. Just tell him I'm knocked out like the others."

"You'd lie to your superior Ela? Really?" Xemnas's voice said. While it sounded like the Superior, there was just something in the infliction that was really off. And really, really familiar.

"So you've possessed Xemnas now?" Xaldin inquired.

"Just to speak to all of you." The voice said "It's really for the benefit of _Number XI _over there."

The others looked around.

"Hey buddy, you got your intel wrong." Said Axel "We only go up to Number X."

"Because you all pretended like I never existed."

"Well, actually…" began Axel.

"You know what I mean."

"Anyway," he continued "I'm only using Xehanort's voice to talk to you all because I can't enter the head of, Luxord is it? Yeah, he's keeping me from using my pleasing baritone of a voice."

"You've got us all here," said Xigbar "Now what?"

"You're all going to stay here as I take my sweet time destroying Xehanort's mind."

"So why tell us?" Vexen asked "That seems a little counter productive. I mean, we can leave at any point."

"Can you?"

"Yes. Watch."

Vexen waved his arm to open up a path to darkness. Nothing happened. He waved it again and again, still nothing.

A laugh filled the room. While it probably would have been chilling if it had come from his natural voice, since it came from Xemnas's almost bass-like voice, it sounded a little off. But the others didn't notice.

"Gotta love these command codes!"

"What exactly did you do?" Xaldin shouted.

"Simple. Using the codes I plucked straight out of Xehnie's mind, I've locked you in this room. Don't try to break down the doors. You can't summon your weapons or your elements here either. And no paths to darkness. Gotta love leadership paranoia."

"Wait, wait, wait." Vexen said, slightly confused "You're telling us that the Superior has written in codes that could potentially trap us in here? Why?"

"For someone who claims to be a genius, you really are a fucking retard." The Superior's voice said "Xehnie put this in out of plain paranoia. Just in case one of you decided that it was 'off with his head!'. So, he needed protection."

"Alright, alright." Xaldin said, some anger in his voice "You're once again slightly ahead of us. But, why are you telling us this?"

"What's the point of pulling off one of the greatest revenge feats of all time if no one knows about it?"

The others looked at each other.

"That always was your problem…" Vexen began.

"Yeah, I know, I get 'too complacent' and that causes me to fail. Save it. Ïas already gave me that little speech and now he's in a hospital bed. Once again, I win. So, if you excuse me, I have to go torture Xehnie. Ya'll have fun now!"

There was silence.

"WHY THAT ARROGANT SELF-CENTERED SON OF A BITCH!" Xigbar shouted.

"He's here. He really is." Vexen said. He kept repeating it, but no matter how many times he did, he still couldn't believe it.

"See, this is why I wanted to plan." Xaldin said "Just in case he'd do something like this."

"Lot of good that would done us." Replied Axel.

"Like you really cared!" yelled Xaldin "You did nothing but run around and insult us, while doing practically nothing!"

"That's just how I roll, so don't get pissed at me!"

"Oh, don't get pissed at you?" exclaimed Xaldin "I'm already pissed at you!"

"Bring it!"

"I swear if I could get my lances," Xaldin said pointing right at the Flurry "There'd be one right in your head!"

"And your head would be lying on the floor after being removed by a chakrum!"

"JUST SHUT IT!" shouted Luxord. All eyes turned to him "Now what the fuck is going on? I'm the only one here without a fucking clue and I want answers!"

"Okaaaay." Xigbar said, really drawing it out "Well, I guess Lux needs to be filled in with a rather, shall I say, 'dirty little secret' about our little group. After all, he is the new guy and didn't have to directly deal with Rutonfex."

"So that's this guy's name?"

"Yep." Responded Xigbar "Number IX."

"But I thought that…"

"Dem?" Axel said "Dem came along two weeks after we got rid of that asshole. We could have easily made him Number X and just said that ol' Rutonfex was killed in action. But since we pretty much destroyed him, it was decided that we'll just carry on like nothing had happened."

"I see." Lux said rubbing his chin "Well, that explains the sort of nut he'd have against Demyx. But what exactly did you guys do to him?"

"Nothing he didn't deserve!" exclaimed Vexen.

"What Vexen means," began Xaldin "Is that while nothing he's doing is justifiable, it doesn't mean we're completely blameless."

"Who exactly is this guy and what did you do to him?" Lux asked tenting his fingers.

"It's kind of a long story…" Xigbar began.

"We've got all the time in the fucking world!" exclaimed Axel "We might as well tell him."

"Okay, fine." Xigbar said. He leaned over in his chair and began his story.

It wasn't like they had anything else to do.

TO BE CONTINUTED…

A/N: Another spectacular chapter done!

A few notes before I sign off and await your reviews.

The chapter title is the name of the first song in "Jesus Christ Superstar." Sung by Judas, it's about his growing dissatisfaction with the way Jesus' movement is going. It came to me as I wrote the passage where Xigbar and Xaldin are arguing.

Anyway, next chapter is the story of our enigmatic villain. I've dropped a few hints about him in previous chapters, but now's the full story.

I sit and await your reviews.

Chaio,

The Magnificent Tim Fortune


	8. No More Mr Nice Guy

Tim Fortune

**Tim Fortune**

**Presents**

**COGNITO**

**Act I Scene VIII: No More Mr. Nice Guy**

"The first thing you should know about this guy is that prior to two years ago, we have nothing on him."

"Nothing?" Luxord asked.

"Zip, zero, nada, zilch." Axel interjected "The guy came from outta nowhere."

"Yeah, Zexion found him one day on the streets. From what he told us," Xigbar continued "He tried to rob him. Of course, Zexy was somehow able to stop him, despite the 5 inch height difference. Seriously, according to him, he flipped him right over his shoulder. Since he's really not prone to hyperbole, I'd take him at face value."

Clearing his throat, the Freeshooter pressed on "Then, it's just one of those odd things. The two got to talking and became friends. Now of course, he was never aware of what we were doing at the time, but since he found out later, the point is moot."

"So, he and Zexion hang around for about a year and then suddenly Gummi ship technology becomes available. So, he just up and leaves. No explanations, no goodbyes. Just us seeing him run to a nearby ship to leave this world. At the time, we thought we were done with him, just 'so long and fuck you!', so we didn't care. We pressed on with our experiments and viola! Eventually became the beings we are today."

"Of course," Xaldin picked up "The story doesn't stop there. About 8 or 9 months ago, shortly after we recruited Axel, Zexion was on a routine world surveillance mission in Olympus when who does he run into down in the Underworld?"

"Yep," Xigbar continued "Ol' Fortune, after he left, had gotten himself a job as an artist for Hades."

"Wait," Luxord interjected "Fortune? Seriously?"

"Maybe." Xigbar shrugged "As I said, we barely know anything about this guy. Hell, we're not even sure if that's his real name. But it was something to call him."

Continuing with the story, Xigbar pressed on "When Zexy found him down there, of course they were going to reconnect. That's when Zexion decided why not make him one of us? Soon, they rocketed back to the Castle to use the Door one last time and turn this Fortune character into a Nobody. That's what gave us Number IX, Rutonfex, The Dark Artisan."

"Intriguing." Luxord added rubbing his goatee "And at what point did you realize that he was bat shit insane?"

"Oh, we always knew." Axel added "From the moment he came to the Castle we knew something was off about this guy."

Xigbar nodded "Even before that. During our time in Radiant Garden, I thought he was a serial killer. He was always smiling that stupid grin and always seemed like he was a million miles away. That was my theory as to why he left, he had spent too much time on this world."

"Now for about 6 months or so, he was with us, seemingly the last human-like Nobody out there."

"But how did Zexion know that he would be like us?" queried Luxord.

"He didn't." Vexen said "This was a rare moment where Number VI acted out of straight impulse. I'm sure he hoped his friend would become like him."

"But, anyway," Xigbar continued "There we were, the 9 of us, each on our mission to become whole. Now, as it does now it took forever. We didn't have a Keyblader, so the process of unlocking hearts from the Heartless we had was a long arduous one. Somewhere along the lines of in the time it took one of us to unlock one heart, a Keyblader could have already unlocked about 50,000. Now, Rutonfex was Heart extraction alongside Zexion and Vexen. If it wasn't taking us forever to begin with, our Number IX was willingly sabotaging our efforts."

"Why?"

"It's part of his bizarre philosophy." Vexen answered "One of the core components of a Nobody is that we don't technically exist in any realm. He didn't buy that. He believed in the principle of 'Cognito Ergo Sum', 'I think, therefore I am.' Just because he had conscious thought, he existed."

"Plus," added Xaldin "He didn't want to become whole again. He was drunk with the power that being a Nobody allows, so apparently he fought hard to make sure that he never gave up that power."

"As for how he did it," picked up Xigbar "He committed Heartless genocide. I'm guessing that during his time with Hades he picked up a trick or two. Who knows what you could learn from the lord of the Dead?"

"That was crime Number 1: Interference with Organization Plans." Vexen added "As for what came next…"

"Guy pulled a fucking Sinestro." Xigbar said.

The other members just looked at him.

"Sinestro? Formerly the greatest Green Lantern of all time? Used his power to subjugate his home world? Am I the only one who reads comics here?"

"I'm sure if Demyx were here you two could have multiple nerdgasms together." Axel said with a smile.

"Shut up Axel." Xigbar said "Basically, Rutonfex used his powers to conquer some far away world for his own reasons. Don't try looking for it. All we have is a name 'The Orchestral Hall.' Other than that, we've got nothing. It's not in our databases and as for actually physically going there, no one can. Somehow, we're not sure how, he hid it. He probably knew the writing was on the wall. Because after all, it's not like we could have kept secrets from him."

"How?" Luxord asked "From the sound of things he doesn't seem that trustworthy."

"And he wasn't." Vexen answered "It all had to do with his element. Much like I control Ice, you control Time, and Number V controls Earth, he had the power of Mind."

"With just a thought he could create constructs," Xaldin added "He had telekinesis and telepathy. Plus, he had a degree of mind control, as we're all perfectly aware of now."

"Well, we confronted him about these things about 3 months ago when we found out." Xigbar said, continuing onward with the story "He didn't deny them. He said that our goal was a pathetic one and if he had to be the only one who realized it and did something so be it. As for his world conquering, he claimed that because of our powers we were a superior race that deserved to lord over all 'inferior peoples.' That's when the trial began. Xemnas acted as judge, Saïx was prosecution and Zexion served as defense, seeing that we wanted to pretty much destroy his best friend. It was a circus. He was guilty and he knew it. Hell, we all knew it. And so, we remaining members voted about whether or not to banish him to the realm of Nothingness, seeing as he was too dangerous to be let loose. In the end, the vote was 4 for, 1 against. I was the one who voted against. Sure he was a deranged lunatic, but he didn't deserve to be destroyed. Imprisoned forever in our dungeon perhaps, but not destroyed. But, it was majority rules and off he went into Nothingness. About two weeks later, Demyx came to our door and we just carried on like he never existed. And so, that's all you need to know about this guy. And judging by what he did to Saïx, Zexion, and Demyx, we may have to watch our collective asses."

**XIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIII**

Trapped, for hours it seemed, Xemnas had no clue what was going on, which was a first for the Superior. He had grown use to always being in control, so to have that snatched from him, was…discomforting.

So, he spent his time racking his brain trying to come up with who would do this to him. Who could have this much against him? There were two possibilities, but both were practically impossible. He wouldn't rule them out, but he didn't think that they were highly likely.

After some time, a door finally appeared in the Spartan furnishings of his cell. Cautiously, he stepped through it. Instead of the dank hallway that he expected to find, Xemnas found himself standing in a bright sunny field. Flowers of all colors grew around him and the air was a pleasant temperature. Just right for the leather coat he was wearing.

On a nearby hill, directly in the sunlight, a man stood looking into the horizon holding a flower up to his face. As he was in the light, he appeared as a mere silhouette to the Superior.

Xemnas approached the figure, seeing as he was the only in this all too bright and cheerful place.

Stepping on many flowers on his way to the hill, the figure turned his head looked right at him.

"Welcome to my nightmare." He said jovially.

"Uh uh." Was all the Superior could say.

"Come on, it's bright, sunny and cheerful." The man said "What else could it be but Hell?"

Xemnas just looked at this shadowed figure. What the hell was up with him?

"But, I'm being rude." Said the figure "Please allow me to re-introduce myself…Xehnie."

"YOU!" shouted Xemnas.

"The one and only." Rutonfex said as he stepped out of the direct sunlight and became visible. He still held the flower up to his face.

"Sweet mother of darkness," Xemnas said, putting his face into his palm "This truly is Hell if you're here."

"Ah, but I'm not dead. And neither are you…yet."

"So you've come back from Nothingness to kill me." Replied Xemnas "Just try."

"Please." The Artisan said, dropping his flower "If I really wanted to kill you, I'd have done so already. Sure, I'd lose a bit of the theatricality that goes along with killing someone of your stature, but hey! If you want a job done, you've got to make certain sacrifices."

Coming right next to the Superior, he continued talking "Nah Xehnie…"

"Don't fucking call me that." Xemnas said, his voice filled with menace.

"Chill Xehnie, chill!" he replied, still as flippant as ever "As I was about to say, you and me are in for a lot of fun."

"Really?" Xemnas said rolling his eyes "Just where in all the Hells of all the Worlds are we?"

"Right here!" replied Rutonfex overly cheerful as he tapped the Superior's forehead.

"My head?" responded Xemnas "Are you fucking kidding me?"

"Sadly no. I am not." That ever present smile was still stuck on his face.

"Great. Fucking great."

"Watch your fucking mouth man!" Rutonfex replied with false shock.

Xemnas' eye just twitched. While it had only been three months since they banished him, he had largely forgotten just how annoying the Dark Artisan could be.

"So this is my torture huh?" he said collapsing to the ground "I have to sit here and listen to you blather on and on about nonsense?"

"Now Xehnie," Rutonfex said taking a seat right next to him "That kind of cruel and unusual punishment requires a sufficient lack of imagination. I'm not Ïas you know!"

Xemnas just threw his face into his hands. So this is what he got for his lifetime of evil deeds? The chance to spend some quality time with probably the most annoying humanoid that ever existed? Ye gods! Even Demyx was tolerable most of the time. But this guy, this guy was just plain unbearable. He always had been too. Ever since their days in Radiant Garden, when he'd be wandering the gardens hoping for some stroke of inspiration, there that smiling fool would be.

That fucking smile. Does he have any other facial expressions? Even when he drops it, it's all for the sake of a joke that funny to him and him alone. What the fuck is up with this guy?

"Hello? Earth to Xehnie!" Rutonfex said waving his hand in front of Xemnas' head.

"Couldn't you just kill me and end this?" Xemnas said.

"Of course not!" replied his captor standing up "That's only fun for as long as it takes to pull the proverbial trigger. Nope! You and me, we're gonna have a lot of fun together. I've searched through the deepest, darkest cavities of your brain and I've found just the right thing to make you claw your eyes out and just stroke out. Upon viewing I can see why most of your memories are repressed!"

"Well compared to just standing here talking with you, that seems almost bearable."

"Oh stop it with the tough guy façade." Rutonfex said rolling his eyes "You ain't fooling anyone but yourself. Besides, if I can make Ïas break down in tears and cause that peppy little idiot Myde to want to off himself, then I don't think you'd be too hard. Especially with a past like yours. I mean, I thought you were doing some bad things in Radiant Garden, but this…" The Dark Artisan just let out a whistle.

As Rutonfex was standing and Xemnas sitting, the Superior stuck out a leg and made the Artisan fall to the ground. Standing up, he kicked him over onto his back and put his boot to his throat.

"Listen here you miserable piece of shit." He sneered applying some pressure "I don't know how you managed to escape or what your idiotic little plan is, but I don't care. I want you to stop now. I have a theory as to how you're doing this and I know what can stop it. All I have to do is apply a little more pressure and your miserable little neck is snapped."

"And were I tangible that would be ideal." Rutonfex said suddenly appearing behind Xemnas. The Superior looked down and saw that he no longer had him under his boot.

"The thing is," he continued, his smile growing even larger "I'm not. I'm a mere thought. And once a thought is released, there's no way to stop it. Face it Xehnie, I'm in control here. There's nothing that you can do that I can't counter. So go ahead, lunge at me, strangle me, knock me down. The only way for you to win is for me to let you win, and I don't see that happening in the foreseeable future."

"Typical." The Superior sneered "When you can't play by the rules, you find a game where you can make your own. That's just pathetic."

"I wouldn't be the one insulting me here." Warned the Artisan "With a mere nod of my head, I can easily kill you."

"Then do it! I don't fear death. My only regret will be the fact that my work is unfinished."

"You don't think I won't?"

"Then do it!"

"Oh I will!"

"Alright then."

"In about three seconds, you'll be saying hello to sweet oblivion."

"I'll be sure to be a gentleman."

The two stared at each other for a few tense moments. Xemnas kept his steely gaze firmly on the Fallen Organization member, as Rutonfex actually let his smile drop from his face.

"What are you waiting for?" Xemnas said, a slight smile crossing his face "I'm ready to go!"

"Oh so am I."

The two continued to stare at each other.

"You're not going to do it." Xemnas said, his smile growing a little wider "You're not able to. It's too easy a victory. Once I'm down, how are you going to gloat over how you won? You can't gloat to a dead man. Face it Fortune. You're nothing. Nothing but talk and impressive parlor tricks designed to fool less powerful minds. Well, welcome to the big leagues."

"Xehnie…"

"Ah and here we see yourself retreating to a safe place!" Xemnas let out a laugh "Still clinging to that childish nickname in order to make you feel superior to me! I always hated that nickname, but now I can see it for what it is. A defense mechanism. Let yourself believe that you're facing something weaker than you by marginalizing it with a stupid name. Ah the power of the Mind!"

Rutonfex just seethed with anger. This was not going well at all.

"Fine!" he snapped "You want to settle this man to man? Then let's do this! Here's your lightsaber knock-offs!"

In his hands, the aerial blades did appear.

"And here's my cutlass!" and twin blades appeared in his hands "You and me. _Manu e Manu_. If I win, which I will, then I welcome you to the most perfect Hell you've ever created. But, if by some infinitesimal chance, you end up victorious, I'll agree to what ever terms you want."

"Will you?" Xemnas said looking at him with immense distrust.

"Come on Xehnie! I'm a man of my word."

"Then let's do this."

And the combatants rushed straight for each other.

**XIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIII**

Demyx's eyes shot open. He had no clue where he was and why his face hurt so much, but soon it came back to him.

"Fucking Axel." He muttered. He tried to sit up, but found himself restrained to the bed.

"They really are serious." He said aloud. From what little he could see, he was in the lab, which doubled as an infirmary from time to time.

By making a trickle of water go through his cuffs, he was able to slip his hand out and open the other one.

After rubbing his wrists, he sat up on his bed. He was going to leave and head back to the fountain, but then actually thought about what he was going to do.

Did he really want to end his life? No. Why would he? His life was great. He had a purpose and people who could count as friends. Hell, if they were adamant about stopping him from killing himself, then that must mean that they care right?

So, who cares if he couldn't have the woman of his dreams? She was right. She had made it abundantly clear that she had no interest in him. Immaturity had made him continually go after her. Besides, until Rutonfex began his machinations, he hadn't even thought about Arlene in months. Oh, well. He was never going to see her again.

"Let's live life for Demyx!" he shouted triumphantly as he jumped up. Looking over, he saw two figures on beds that were seemingly asleep.

"Oh." He said quietly. He went over and saw that it was Saïx and Zexion.

"Oh!" he suddenly realized. Rutonfex must have gotten to them. He had mentioned that he had made Saïx catatonic. But what about Zexion?

Sure, Number VI had never shown much interest in the Nocturne, despite the fact that the two of them were the closest in age. Hell, Zexion only had a year on Demyx. They were the two youngest members, but because of his status as a member of the Original Six, the Schemer had always seemed a bit…distant.

At least Xigbar was always good for a laugh.

Speaking of which, where are they now? Demyx had to warn them about Rutonfex if they didn't already know. From what he could see, the enigmatic stranger had just finished with him, Saïx and Zexion, but what about the other seven?

"Gotta find them!"

The Nocturne rushed out of the lab and into the hallway, sliding on the marble floor and nearly crashing into a wall. Catching himself, he ran through the hall shouting the names of each member.

He ran through nearly every corridor, poking his head into their respective rooms whenever he came upon it.

Eventually, he came to the door leading to the throne room.

"Xigbar! Xaldin! Vexen!" he shouted at the door, saying the first three names that came to his head "You guys in there?"

"DEMYX?" six familiar voices shouted at once from in there.

"Alright!" he exclaimed "I found you guys! Listen, there's this…"

But he didn't get a chance to finish as he was interrupted by Axel shouting "JUST OPEN THE FUCKING DOOR!"

"Okay! Geez!" he said as he touched the control panel and the door opened up. The six that were in the room all came running out.

"Alright, listen up." He said to the gathered Nobodies "There's this guy…"

"Rutonfex." They all said at once.

"Oh." Replied the Nocturne "You already know."

"Yeah. We do." Axel said sardonically "Thanks for being on the same page. Now don't you have a fountain to stick your head into?"

"Well, I've decided to live."

"Great to hear it Dem." Xigbar said patting him on the back "We'll celebrate later. Right now, we've got a disgruntled former member on our hands. Let's take care of him."

From his hands, his guns came spinning out. A gust of wind blew by and Xaldin was surrounded by his six lances. Vexen received his shield in a flurry of snow and Lexaeus pulled his tomahawk up from the ground. Axel stuck his arms out to the sides and twin spindles of fire emanated from his open palms and were turned into his chakrums. Demyx held his arm in the air with a water bubble, which expanded and turned into his sitar. And Luxord stood still as his cards orbited around him.

"Let's get this son of a bitch." Xigbar said, giving his guns a twirl.

**XIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIII**

Rutonfex was on the defensive.

He couldn't believe it. Every time he made a thrust into an exposed spot on Xemnas, the Superior always managed to block with his other blade. There were twirls, acrobatics, and other aerial tricks, but it was becoming clear that the Artisan was losing this battle.

In his panicked state, he didn't think to use his near omnipotent powers to change the outcome of this match. He was too frightened. Xemnas was coming towards him in full righteous fury and all he could do was evade and attempt to strike when the opportunity presented itself. But it rarely did.

Rutonfex wasn't a fighter. He preferred to wear his opponents down mentally and emotionally, then strike if nessacery. It had been ages since he faced an opponent of this strength. He wasn't prepared for it. Instead of pushing the Superior's buttons, his had been pushed in turn. And now he was paying for it.

Suddenly, he felt searing pain in his left side. He looked over and saw that where his left was supposed to be was a smoking stump, with his left arm lying nearby on the ground.

"YOU BASTARD!" he shouted as he lunged right at Xemnas. The Superior remained cool and collected as he moved quickly and took off the Artisan's remaining arm, as well as his legs. Falling to the ground as basically a stump, the Superior put one of his blades to his neck.

"You lose." Xemnas said smugly.

"No. No! NO!" Shouted Rutonfex "Impossible!"

"Face it Rutie." Xemnas said with a smile "You're done. I've got you now."

"NO!" he shouted as he re-grew his limbs. But since Xemnas had a blade at his throat, the Superior lobbed his head off as soon as his arms and legs grew back. The Artisan's headless body slumped to the ground. Xemnas went up to his opponents head and stuck one of his blades in it. The smell of burnt flesh and hair permeated the air, but Xemnas ignored it.

Holding the head up to his face he said "Ah how the mighty have fallen."

"It's not over yet!" Rutonfex's head replied "I can still beat you!"

"How?" laughed Xemnas "No matter how you try to regroup after each attack, you end up worse. Just surrender and it won't hurt at all."

Resigning himself to the fact that it would be never-ending battle with Xemnas always coming out ahead, the Artisan agreed to acquiesce.

"Fine." He said, re-growing his body and pulling the blade out of the top of his head "I'm a man of my word. What are your terms?"

"First, you undo whatever damaged you've done to this Organization before you came to me. If you dealt with me first, then ignore this stipulation and anguish in the fact that it ended all too quickly. Second, you leave. You get out of our heads and make sure you never return. And third, you must admit that you are nothing. And as the master of Nothingness, I own you."

"You drive a hard bargain Xehnie." Rutonfex said with a weak smile "But alright. I'll fix all the damage I've done. And then I'll get to work on that second stipulation."

He turned and began to walk away. But before he got too far, he turned his head over his shoulder and said "But I won't admit I'm nothing! You can defeat me in a sword match, but you can't take away my pride!"

And with that he disappeared.

Suddenly, Xemnas found himself sitting in his chair in the Room of Sleep.

"Am I back?" he mused out loud.

Standing up, he left the chamber and went out into the hallway. It was relatively quiet there. The only noise that was there was the sound of the Dusks working on castle maintenance. Taking a deep breath, he walked further down the hallway.

Xemnas was unsure if this was a dream or reality. It felt real, but he was still unsure.

Turning a corner, he found himself face to face with the remaining members of the Organization.

"There he is!" shouted Xigbar pointing his guns right at him "Get 'im!"

And the remaining members, weapons drawn all pounced on the Superior.

"Take that you insane fuck!" exclaimed Axel as Xaldin lifted Xemnas into the air with a gust of wind and the Flurry lobbed a fireball at him.

"STOP THIS FUCKING THING NOW!" Xemnas shouted as they were all overtaken by a cube of Nothingness. All attacks ceased and when the cube dissolved, Xemnas looked at all the other members with a severely pissed off look on his face.

"NOW WHAT THE FUCK WAS THAT ALL ABOUT?" he shouted.

"Wouldn't you like to know…Rutonfex." Sneered Xigbar as he fused his guns into a single sniper rifle and took aim.

"I've already taken care of him!" exclaimed Xemnas angrily.

"Really?" scoffed Xigbar, with his rifle still firmly aimed at the Superior's chest.

_Unfortunately Braig, Xehnie speaks the truth._

Everyone in the hallway looked up in shock.

_Your Superior over there kicked my ass and now I'm dealing with his terms. If you go into your lab, you'll see that Ïas and…Zexion_ _are awake and healthy. Furthermore, it has been decreed that I'm not going to trouble you anymore. So, in a few moments, you're all going to feel incredibly tired. You'll go to bed. And when you wake up the next morning, it'll be like today never happened. In fact, it'll be like I never existed. You'll have no memory of me. And without a tiny memory in anyone's mind, I have no power._

"How do we know that you're going to keep your word?" asked Xaldin.

_Dilan, you know that I'm a man of my word. Because in the end, that's all a man has. So, I wish you all pleasant dreams. Because…I…am…outta here!_

At that last line, the eight members present began yawning. They each parted ways and went to their respective rooms.

_**The Next Day…**_

Morning, or at least the equalivent of it, had dawned on the Castle that Never Was. Kingdom Hearts shown brightly through the window of Number II of the Organization, Xigbar.

He was snoring loudly in his bed when suddenly he heard a loud banging on the main door of the castle. Lifting his head off his pillow, he looked sleepily around.

"Whazzit?" he said incoherently. The banging continued.

"Please, stop." He pleaded with whoever was knocking on the door, even if they couldn't hear him. But it still continued.

With a groan, he lifted himself out of bed. Grabbing an eye patch and his robe from nearby chair, he began his way to the main foyer to answer the door.

"This is really Vexen's or Dem's job." He grumbled as he made his way over there. He was really tired. The day before was just a blur, but he was sure it was just like any other day. Despite the slight headache he had, which he was almost certain was caused by a night of drinking with Xaldin, Axel and Demyx, he reasoned that yesterday had just been an average day. Nothing new to report.

The banging continued, growing louder with each step he made towards the door.

Eventually, he made it to the door. Slowly opening it, he looked out and saw two people. One was a tall male with long, rather ruffled pink hair. The other was a female with slicked back blonde hair.

"Yes?" he said looking at them.

"Um, hi." The pink haired one said "I'm Lumaria and this is Arlene. And um…we've got nothing beating here." With that he pointed at his chest.

Xigbar's remaining visible eye lit up and he smiled.

"Come in! Come in!" he said ushering them inside.

All three stood in the foyer of the Castle. Lumaria and Arlene just looked around at the massive entrance way. Xigbar had made his way to an intercom near the decorative fountain.

Pressing the button that said "I", he spoke into it.

"Hey Xemnas!"

"Wha?" was the groggy reply on the other end.

"We've got two live ones!"

There was a pause.

"I'll be down shortly." Was Xemnas' reply.

Xigbar moved his finger from the intercom button and looked at the two new arrivals. He smiled at the two.

"Welcome to your new lives!" he said "I'm Xigbar, and as soon as Xemnas gets here, we'll get you two caught up with what's going on."

"Good." Lumaria said "Cuz I'm real effing confused here."

"Patience oh Pink One. All will be revealed shortly."

At that moment, Demyx walked in eating a bag of chips.

"Hey Xig what's going on?" he asked. But then he saw her.

"Arlene?" he said "Long time, no see! How ya doing?"

She didn't respond. All she did was scowl and punch Demyx right in the face.

_**ONE YEAR LATER…**_

Zexion closed the zipper on his duffel bag.

"That's everything I guess." He said, as he slung it over his shoulder. He hoped it was everything. He was leaving for Castle Oblivion today and didn't want to leave anything useful behind.

Larxene and Marluxia had already been stationed there earlier in the month. Xemnas was sure that those two were plotting something against him, but he had no definite proof. As such, he ordered Zexion, alongside Vexen and Lexaeus to go to the Castle's basement levels and keep an eye out for those two. If any suspicious was to happen, they were to report it to Xemnas.

Zexion was sure that it was just paranoia on Xemnas' part. Sure, Marluxia was a tad egotistical and Larxene was, well, a bitch, but that didn't mean that they had some sort of grand scheme. But, it never hurt to make sure.

With his duffel bag over his shoulder, Zexion left his room and went out into the hallway. He began walking towards the foyer of the Castle so that he could meet up with Vexen and Lexaeus and head over to the other Castle. As he walked through the seemingly endless corridors, he passed by Axel talking with the new kid, uh, what was his name again? Oh yeah, Roxas. Yeah. Axel was talking with Roxas and the two seemed to be hitting it off rather quickly.

The friendship of those two stirred a long dormant memory in the Schemer. He couldn't recall most of it, but he recalled an unlikely friend like that back in Radiant Garden. The friend didn't have a name or a face, but the memories of the friendship remained.

As he arrived in the foyer, he thought _I'll have Vexen check it out once we get there_.

Meeting up with his two companions, they opened a path to darkness and stepped through.

Meanwhile, in the deepest, darkest part of Zexion's subconscious, a lone figure smiled.

END OF ACT I

TO BE CONTINUED…

A/N: And thus ends Act One of my tale. Epic no? Oh, it will be continued. I've got many plans for the characters and Rutonfex is too good of a character not to use again.

Some notes on this chapter.

In terms of chronology, all of Act One takes place one year before the events of KH1. Hence why at the end when it says "One Year Later" and has Zexion leaving for Castle Oblivion.

The title is a reference to the Alice Cooper song of the same name. It serves a duel purpose for this chapter, in that Rutonfex, who has said frequently that he's a "nice guy", lets that drop for his battle with Xemnas and that he's defeated and rendered "No More." Clever, no?

So, read and review. Tell me what you think.

Special thanks to **FaerieFighter009** and **cursedchaos13 **for their wonderful support of this story. Don't worry girls, it's gonna go on.

As for now, I've gotta rest.

Good night everybody,

The Magnificent Tim Fortune 9/12/2008 3:04 am


	9. Welcome Home

Tim Fortune

**Tim Fortune**

**Presents**

**COGNITO**

**Interlude Part 1: Welcome Home**

Axel stood by smiling as the Replica lifted Zexion in the air and drained the life right out of him.

"Easy there." He said, barely suppressing a laugh "Don't want to go overboard."

"W-why?" Zexion said weakly.

"You've got your agenda oh Schemer," Axel said walking away "And I've got mine. Say hi to oblivion for me."

And with that, he walked away from the basement room, leaving the dying Zexion with the Replica.

As soon as he had enough, the Replica dropped the Schemer to the ground and walked off. Tendrils of essence emanated from his body as he lay on the cold stone floor. Weakly, he crawled his way towards the direction where the exit was. He got all of five feet before being completely weakened.

"N-no." he said straining to breathe "Not…not like this…"

With one final agonizing gasp, he dropped limp. The last of his essence flew away from his body and he disappeared, gone completely into oblivion. The Schemer was no more.

But, one last thing escaped from the dying brain of Number VI. Faster than anything that could exist in the physical universe, it traveled the unknown light-years until it reached its destination.

It was a world that just floated in an unknown region of space, far removed from the multitude of worlds that made up that portion of the galaxy. Few had ventured into that far location. Mainly because only two years earlier, nothing was there. And technically, nothing still was there.

A world previously known only to 13 individuals, the number had recently dropped to a mere 8. It was a world of complete darkness. What population it had didn't mind, didn't notice, or didn't care. Light came from the windows of the buildings that made up the city. A sprawling metropolis filled with shadows of things that once were and hoped to be again.

High above the city, a castle floated. The massive structure dominated the skyline, dwarfing all buildings beneath it, even the massive skyscraper that stood in the center of the city. A skyscraper with a massive monitor on it that periodically would play the things that were; as if to remind itself that it was still there.

Like it was most of the time, the rain fell softly on the empty streets and ran off the turrets of the castle, making it seem to rain harder directly underneath it. But, nothing was underneath it. Just the void.

With the clouds covering the gigantic heart-shaped moon that stood only miles away from the highest point of the highest tower of the castle, the invisible entity moved through the hallways of the castle. In a rare case of events, the remaining occupants of the castle were gone. Some were on missions, while some went to the other castle to find out what had just happened there.

Soon, the entity came to a central garden. In the center, a lone rock stood, the rain pelting it with its gentle pitter-patter. The thing dove deep under the rock.

There was silence. All that could be heard was the rain, starting to come down harder now. A bolt of lightening came down and struck the rock. The force of the bolt caused it to split in two. And when the clap of thunder came, a gloved hand punched its way out of the ground.

Groping around, it shoved the broken remains of the rock out of the way. Soon, another hand shot out. The two hands took their places on opposite ends and the body that they were attached to emerged from the ground.

Underneath the dirt, the man who emerged was wearing a leather robe of sorts, with a silver zipper near the bottom, forming a V with the opening of the coat. He wore black pants, with knee high heeled boots. The robe had a hood with two silver drawstrings, but he wasn't wearing the hood.

He had an angular face that seemed longer due to the dark goatee that framed the edges of his mouth. His hair was long and curly, usually swept behind the ears to increase its effect. A medium, slightly squat nose sat in the middle of his face, with its default position seemingly always being up. And then, there were his eyes. The black pupils leapt out of his brown irises with dazzling brilliance, and danced with an eerie intelligence. They were the eyes of one who can pierce the soul and freeze the heart.

The man stood in the rain and looked up as the clouds parted and the brilliant light of the heart-shaped moon bathed him in an unearthly glow. The rain pelted his face and ran down his tall, lanky body, but he didn't care. Just looking up at the moon, he let out a loud angry howl. He then waved his arm and a portal of darkness appeared. He then rushed into it.

He appeared in what seemed to be an interior graveyard of sorts. Twelve "graves" were lined on a slope. The only image on them was a weapon of sorts, and instead of a name, a title was there instead. Seven of the twelve glowed a light blue, but five glowed red instead. Dirt stuck to the ground every time he took a step and the water from the rain dripped to the floor as he walked over to one of the red graves.

The grave was the same height as those around it and looked no different than any of the other ones. Its main distinction was its image, which was that of a giant open book. Underneath the picture of the book were the words "The Cloaked Schemer."

"Well, well, well, _Zexion_," the man spit out with venom "Look at where your little crusade brought you. All those hearts you tried to collect and release, and for what? Oblivion and an empty grave in a hidden location? This is the be all end all of your short little life? Congratulations! Instead hanging on the fringe of existence, you now don't exist at all! And who will mourn you? No one! Your comrades? Doubt it. I'm guessing that at right this moment they're scouring all the worlds for your replacement! And they'll find it too. Rather quickly. I don't know what death brings, but I hope you can hear me. You've just experienced your last failure upon a string of failures."

He paused and looked at the gravestone which stood there, seemingly mocking him with its silence.

His mouth turning into a scowl, he brought his fists down on it and destroyed it. The image of the book was now lost in the rubble.

"You thought that you could control everything didn't you?" he shouted at the wrecked stone "But there were too many variables that you didn't consider! You have plans inside schemes inside agendas, but you can't correctly guess what a single person can do! And look! Two completely separate individuals brought you right here! That kid, who reminded you Xehnie, Even couldn't get him and it ended up costing you."

"And then there was Ela. He out schemed the schemer! Normally, I'd be impressed, but he cost me my re-vengeance! You were my ticket to getting back at this group of failures yet again. And this time, I'd get the final laugh! Even though I'd be pulling the strings, you'd be the face of the action and all blame would be shifted to you! Why do you think I didn't completely erase my existence from your mind? Why do you think I left myself as an incomplete memory to you? If I had fully done what Xehnie wanted me to do, then I'd be gone! Self-preservation is the dominant trait in all species. Of course, one must always have a back-up plan. You were plan A, but in case something like this happened, I'd have a plan B."

"Now, I was surprised when Arlene joined your little group. But now she's gone. And my perfect plan is shattered. Thanks a fucking lot _Zexion_! And how will the world remember you? Will it be your urging to create a laboratory where innocents were kidnapped and tortured for the sake of science? Will it be as a founding member of a dying group? Or will it be your colossal failure to control what was going on at Castle Oblivion? Here's your epitaph: 'Here lies Zexion, formerly known as Ienzo. He fucked up royally.'"

He paused and stared at the broken stone.

"You were a friend." He said softly "You were a comrade. Now you're nothing. One year from now no one will remember you."

Looking up at the ceiling he added "Well, maybe me. But I'm a ghost. Technically. Sure, blood still runs through my veins and air flows through my lungs, but I might as well be dead. Maybe, it's a sign. Maybe…my vengeance crusade isn't worth it. I tried it and what did it get me? A year locked away in your sub-conscious. I'd rather not have to do that again."

Turning his head back to the gravestone "Maybe, I should just go about my life. Forget all about you and the rest of you failures. Go and just live my life."

He turned around and began to walk away. He got slightly towards the exit, when he turned and said "I know it's a little too late, but our friendship really did mean something. And if you can hear me wherever you are, I, Rutonfex, formally known as Fortune, say 'I'm sorry.'"

And with that, he walked right out the exit.

The castle was still empty, save for the Dusks that were floating around. They ignored Rutonfex as he walked through the corridors of the castle. It was odd to be using his legs again, considering that he had just been a year split in two. His mind and consciousness inhabiting the brain of Zexion and his body lying underneath the rock in the castle. He was fortunate that they didn't destroy it.

"Thank you Even and your endless curiosity." He murmured and laughed. Even was now exploring the greatest mystery of them all: death.

A year earlier, during his revenge attempt, he had gone into Braig's head in order to just fuck with him. While there, he learned that Even had buried his body underneath the rock in the garden. And since the only two people he could control were now dead, he had to return to the shell he hadn't inhabited for over a year.

That was the essence of his power. Once he was in, he had free reign to do what he wished. But getting was the problem. His powers relied on memory. Not a specific memory, but a memory. Even if he had just been seen in a crowd that was enough of a door way for him to enter.

Eventually, he came to where he wanted to go. Stepping into the door, he walked into Demyx's empty room. It was as he had seen when he had entered the Nocturne's head a year earlier. Throwing his wet and muddy clothes on the floor, he went into Demyx's dresser. It was fortunate that they were the same size. In fact, since this room had been his while he was a member, the clothes had belonged to him earlier too.

Taking out a pair of pants and a shirt, he put them on and pulled the pants over his boots. He took an extra robe, but left it open like a coat. He adjusted his wet hair in the mirror nearby and walked out the door.

Standing in the hallway, he opened a portal to darkness.

"Let's see what all the worlds have to offer."

And he stepped in, never to be seen around the castle ever again.

TO BE CONTINUED…

A/N: There's interlude part 1. Hoped you liked it.

The chapter title is a reference to the song of the same name by Coheed and Cambria. It fits this chapter as Rutonfex has returned to his former home and the fact that he spends a bit of the chapter yelling at Zexion's grave, which is kind of what the song is about.

As for Zexion's death in the beginning, I remembered a few details, but not all, so I did as Voltaire (the singer, not the satirist) says "If you find you're in a bind, you just make some shit up" and so I did.

Enjoy.

The Magnificent Tim Fortune 9/15/08 2:10 PM


	10. Bohemian Rhapsody

Tim Fortune

**Tim Fortune**

**Presents**

**COGNITO**

**Interlude Part 2: Bohemian Rhapsody**

_**Four Months Later…**_

He stepped outside into the bright sunshine. Despite his white, wide brimmed fedora, the brightness of the sun still made his eyes squint. From the front pocket of his dark blue Hawaiian shirt, he pulled out a pair of sunglasses and placed them on his face.

"Much better." He said going more fully out the door of the hotel. Dressed in a Hawaiian shirt with dark brown cargo shorts, both showing off his pale arms and legs, with dark brown leather sandals on his feet, he made his way towards the beachside bar. Taking a seat at a table near the railing, he ordered himself an orange juice with rum added to it. Smiling, he pulled a cigar out of his shorts and lit it up. Life was good.

In the four months since he had returned to his physical body, Rutonfex had been living the high life. Because of his ability to create things with mere thought, he never had any worry for munny. He still needed to buy things like food, drinks and entertainment, because although he could make them in the physical world, they wouldn't the same. It was easier to create munny. Plus, he could influence the clerks into making him pay less.

And so, he lived in hotel after hotel, always in the nicest suite that they could offer, living off the finest food, drinking the finest liquor and of course, smoking endless cigars.

Rarely did his mind turn to his former life amongst the Organization. He had no clue as to what they were up to, but he didn't care. He had washed his hands of them and was glad for it.

Now, he lived his life for pleasure. The beautiful resorts of the outer worlds beckoned to him and he answered. Sure, his Nobody physiology made it impossible for him to tan, but that didn't mean he didn't enjoy sitting in the sun with a drink between his knees, a cigar clamped in his teeth and his nose in a book.

And then there were the women. That was part of the perks of staying on countless beach worlds. And just because he lacked a heart, didn't mean he lacked a man's…basic desires.

Over the past four months, he had forgotten just how many he'd taken back to his room. It wasn't hard. Flash the smile, say something clever and they were jumping on him. Of course, he was using a little mental manipulation, but not a lot. He had to work a bit for it, sometimes.

Staring at the water as he placed his cigar in a nearby ashtray and took a sip of his recently arrived drink, Rutonfex leaned back in his chair. He could do this for the rest of his life.

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw someone familiar. Slamming his chair back to the ground, he turned and yelled "Hey Ian! Over here!"

The man looked both ways and moved cautiously over to Rutonfex's table. He was a large man with broad shoulders and muscular arms. His head was nearly a sphere that sat a top those shoulders, with a squat, also very muscular neck. He was clean shaven with rather dark features. His eyes were black voids that sometimes sparkled with brilliance, but most of the time seemed dead to the world. His hair, like that of a model, was dark like his eyes and was brushed slightly over one of his eyes. The bangs weren't long enough to completely cover his eye, but it still combed over in that style. This was Ian Fabulous, a frequently out of work actor that Rutonfex had met a few weeks earlier when he had arrived at this particular resort.

In those few weeks, Rutonfex had become Ian's closest confidant. Sure, The Dark Artisan didn't reveal certain key facts about himself. His status as a Nobody was to be remained hidden until he felt it was right to out himself as so. While Heartless were now a well known threat to the populace of all the worlds, Nobodies were unknown to all except for a few learned individuals and even they debated on whether or not there was such a thing as Organization XIII, which is what they called it.

Rutonfex had participated in one of the discussions about two months earlier in another resort world. He had to quickly stifle a laugh when he had heard that name, as he knew that the present number stood at only 8 members, maybe even less for all he knew. But their existence was debated by the intellectuals who said that Nobodies must have some sort of ruling body, drawing comparisons to the Heartless and the Inner World villains that had controlled them. As a joke that was immediately laughed off, Rutonfex had even suggested that the leader of this "Organization" was the Nobody of "Ansem", the powerful Heartless that had just been defeated. The other members of the group laughed it off, as it was too coincidental that one person could produce two beings that powerful. Rutonfex had joined in the laughter, despite knowing that what he had said was the actual truth.

Now, as he was moving around in the open, he knew not to use any of his names. He had a variety of aliases. The one he was using currently was Sky Loge, which is what Ian knew him as. And due to his lack of a heart, he felt no guilt in lying to such a close friend. Besides, Ienzo had never known the full truth about him any way.

"Hello Sky." He said his voice higher than what you'd expect from a man of his size. He seemed a bit on edge, like he was expecting something to happen.

"C'mon and have a seat Ian!" Rutonfex said kicking a chair out from under the table. Leaning over and snapping his fingers, he shouted "Waiter! Another Orange Rum over here and…"

"Just a Guinness." Ian said completely unfocused.

"Jesus Ian." Said Rutonfex turning to look at his friend "What is with you today?"

"I did it. It didn't have to be like it was, but it's done."

"What the hell are you talking about?"

"I held her head in my hands." Ian said softly opening and closing his hands "So delicate, so beautiful."

"Yeah…" Rutonfex said, a little bit nervous "It takes quite a bit to freak me out, but you're seriously going for it. What happened?"

"She's dead. He's dead. They're all dead."

"Wait, wait, wait." Said Rutonfex holding his hands up "You murdered someone?"

His friend just silently nodded his head and dropped it to his chest.

"Jesus Christ!" exclaimed the Artisan "Then what the fuck are you doing here? You should have fled!"

"I didn't mean too." He responded softly "I went to her house and he was there. And I…" he broke down sobbing "I loved her too much!"

Rutonfex was uneasy being around his current friend. Reaching into his mind, he got the full story. Much like Demyx had pined for Arlene, so had Ian for Eva. But the similarities ended there.

This was a story of extreme obsession. For who knows how long, Ian had wanted Eva, utterly and completely. But she never noticed. To her, he was nothing more than a good friend. And it drove him crazy. Even more than the Nocturne, almost everything Ian did was to make her love him. He never noticed nor didn't care that there was almost no way that she'd ever feel the same about him as he did her.

Now, being almost a failure at the thing he loved the most, and the fact that the love of his life didn't acknowledge his feelings, he became withdrawn and melancholy. There were days when even Rutonfex, a master at causing despair, didn't even want to be around him.

He reached his breaking point earlier that week. Eva had just gotten engaged and it destroyed his psyche. The Artisan hadn't seen him for that week, but it didn't matter to him. He was living the good life.

It was the night before when he went to her house to try and finally express his feelings, despite it being far too late for him to do anything. He had been drinking heavily before going to her residence, but his mind was still clear.

She had opened the door to see who was there. When she saw that Ian stood on her doorstep, half-empty vodka bottle in his hand, she almost closed the door on him. He insisted that he come in and just talk with her, all while taking periodic sips from his bottle. Eva didn't want him there when he was in this state, but he continued to insist. Eventually, her fiancé came to the door. Despite being physically much smaller than the drunken depressed man at their door, he still said that he should go. When Ian still stood there, drained his bottle of vodka, and smashed it over Eva's fiancés head. Grabbing him before he went down on the ground, he used enough force from his tremendous strength to rip his head clean off his shoulders.

Eva let out a scream and ran into her house. Ian followed, throwing her fiancés head to the floor. As she fumbled for the phone, he grabbed her and hugged her to chest. A snap was heard and she went limp in his arms. It seems that in the heat of the moment, he exerted too much force and snapped her neck. After all, he had about a foot and half, as well as around 100 pounds, mostly muscle, on her.

Dropping her limp body to the floor, he ran out the door, the blood from her fiancé still on his shirt.

Rutonfex let himself out of his minds. Reaching into his pocket, he lay a few munny orbs on the table, grabbed his cigar and left. He didn't want to be around Ian when the police arrived. From what he could see in his friends mind, Ian didn't do anything to cover up his crime. He just did what he did and left. So, the police would arriving any minute to arrest him. In order to remain incognito, Rutonfex had to make sure he didn't draw attention to himself. Sure, he could just erase the memories of all those who saw him, but that would be too complex. Despite his own thoughts and words, there were limits to his powers.

As soon as he left the beachside bar, the police arrived, guns drawn, and went to the table where Ian now sat alone, just looking down. They read him his rights, handcuffed him, and led him out the sitting area. The people sitting there looked confused and talked amongst themselves about what was going on.

Rutonfex leaned on the railing on the outside of the street, blowing smoke out of the side of his mouth.

"Huh." He said, removing the cigar and dropping ash onto the street. He put it back in his mouth and took another drag. It almost seemed like it was time to move on. Although he was pretty sure that Ian would make no connection to him, he still had to maintain his secrecy. Besides, if they hooked him up to a polygraph, it'd be nothing but a straight line due to his Nobody physiology. No heartbeat or pulse would lead to further questioning and it would eventually reveal his status as not quite human. The Artisan couldn't allow that. But, he had one more thing to do first.

**XIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIII**

Alone in his prison cell, Ian sat. His hands were clasped between his knees and his head was down. He had resigned himself to his fate. Any other man would be compelled to pray to a higher being for guidance at a time like this, but Ian had long ago done away with religion, feeling that if some higher power existed why had it done nothing to help him?

And so, here he sat, a final punchline for the joke that was his life. He didn't even care that it was an open and shut case against him. At some point, he was going to swing. It was inevitable. All he could do is wait it out.

As for his thoughts on the crime that he had just committed, he was more angry than saddened. He felt extreme anger over the fact that Eva had spurned him in favor of that other man. What did he have that Ian didn't?

In his heart of hearts, he knew that he was the inferior one. Frequently out of work due to his refusal to do anything but be an actor, he had no steady source of income. For the past few weeks, he had been leeching off the generosity of his friend Sky, leading to him to jokingly refer to himself as his pimp. But when Sky wasn't buying him drinks or food or cigars, he sat alone in his single room apartment, scanning newspapers for auditions and hoping that he could receive a lucky break. But, he never actively pursued his dreams. He sat and waited for them to come to him, then got angry or depressed when nothing happened.

Eva was the one light in his life. Sky was a great guy, but he was rarely around. Plus, he never seemed to have experienced the level of despair and depression that Ian faced on a daily basis, so how could the ever smiling one ever be able to relate to him? Eva at least understood his level of depression and could snap him out of it. She was the Beauty to his Beast. From the moment he saw her, Ian knew that this was the woman he'd be spending the rest of his life with.

But, she spurned him for another man. And look what it got her. Death at his hands. Ian didn't know if there was a Heaven or a Hell, but he knew that perhaps he could spend eternity with his beloved in the afterlife and hopefully she'd forgive him for what he had done.

Suddenly on the wall right in front of him, a portal of darkness opened. It was a swirling mass of blackness and Ian hadn't seen any like it before. But as surprising as it was, what was more surprising was what stepped out. Ian had expected a demon of sorts to emerge from the blackness, but instead…

"Sky?" he said looking at his friend who had just stepped out of the portal.

"Well hello Ian." He said, his usual smile plastered on his face. It seemed incredibly out of place for the current situation.

"Wait, how did you…" Ian started to ask as he looked at his friend "What are you?"

"Your current savior." Replied Sky looking right at him "So, come on into the portal, I'll explain everything."

"No." was all Ian said as he lowered his head again "It's better for me to die now. I don't want to live in a world without her."

Sky rolled his eyes.

"If that's what you really think, then I just might have a solution."

Sky scrunched his face as if he was concentrating real hard. His left eye began to twitch and some blood vessels in his brain looked like they were about to burst. He gritted his teeth and breathed heavily and soon, she appeared.

A goddess in her own right, with long blonde hair that fell almost to her waist and a perfect figure, Eva now stood with Sky and Ian in the prison cell.

"Eva?" Ian said weakly as he went up to her "Is it really her?"

"Oh yes." Sky answered as he moved to the bench that Ian had just been sitting on. He looked tired and strained.

"You see," he continued "I have brought her back to you."  
"How?" Ian said, so happy he could barely contain himself "How did you do it? What are you?"

"Come with me." He replied "And I'll explain everything. She can come too."

Sky got up from the bench and walked to the still open portal. Before he stepped through, he motioned for Ian to follow him. Grabbing Eva's hand, he did.

It was incredibly surreal standing in the interior of the portal. Bright colors, mostly shades of red and purple, swirled around them.

"Where are we?" Ian asked looking at his new surrounding.

"Betwixt and between my friend." Replied Sky "Betwixt and between. Now move quickly, we don't want to linger here too long."

"Why?" he asked "It's so serene here? What's the danger Sky?"

"Just follow and I'll explain." He replied "But just one thing. My name's not Sky. You may call me… Rutonfex."

And he began walking towards another black portal over in the distance with his traveling companions close behind.

**XIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIII**

Of course, Rutonfex didn't have the power to resurrect the dead. Only one being in all the worlds had that power and it was Hades himself. And even for him, it was limited. He was only confined to raising those that ended up in his realm. But, not every being in all the worlds ended up in the Underworld. For some, another place was their final destination.

What Rutonfex had done was something that he had always thought was theoretically possible, but he'd never tested it. Much like he had created munny just by thinking of it, so had he done with Eva. It had taken a bit out of him, as he had never done it with a formerly living being before. Besides, it was only a copy of the real, deceased Eva.  
Sure, she looked like her and moved like her, but it wasn't really Eva. Rutonfex had never met the girl, despite their common friendship with Ian. He had never heard her speak, so the copy remained silent. The only reason he had the image is because he saw her once at a distance.

He was hoping that Ian never found out about his ruse. The copy was nothing but false hope and would further wreck his friend's already damaged psyche.

From the portal, they stepped out into the night air of another world. They stood on a beach with high bluffs overlooking them, while a hotel sat a top the cliff.

Rutonfex spread his arms and took a breath.

"Ahh," he exhaled "Love that night air."

Ian just looked at him as he held on to the Eva copy.

"What are you?" he asked.  
"Now that's an interesting story." Rutonfex replied as he sat down on the sand. Patting the ground, he added "Take a seat, please."

Ian and "Eva" sat down. And so, Rutonfex began his tale, carefully changing or omitting some details that he felt were unimportant, painted him in a negative light or he just plain didn't want revealed.

Ian sat in contemplative thought, while "Eva" just sat staring into space.

"So, you have no heart," began Ian trying to figure out the new details about his friend that he just learned "But somehow, you're able to still be alive. And you're one of the special 'Nobodies' you called them, so you kept human form and in exchange received powers over a certain element. You happened to gain power over Mind, so you're a telepath of sorts. You used to be a part of a secret 'Organization', but you left them. Now you spend your days just living in resort after resort?"

"That's basically it." Replied Rutonfex with a nod.

"But why save me from my fate and give me…" he began as he looked over at his faux-love "Give me my beloved back?"

"What can I say?" shrugged the Artisan "I'm just a nice guy."

"But back there they'll be looking for me!" exclaimed Ian.

"Nope." Smiled Rutonfex "I managed to play around with their memories. As far as the police are concerned, you're completely innocent. Besides, you just rid the world of a man who stole the love of your life. Stay with her. I've seen what happens when a man loses the woman of his dreams. Back in my Organization, there was a man there who nearly killed himself because he couldn't be with the woman of his dreams. Don't be like him. Cherish your love."

Standing up and wiping the sand from his shorts, Rutonfex looked over at Ian.

"Now you have a choice. You can both stay and try to live your life like a normal person and worry about all that trivial nonsense or you can stay and be with a God. Make your choice Ian."

"That's an easy decision." Said his friend standing up "You can do virtually anything. Me and Eva are staying with you. Besides, I owe you for all you've done. Not just for tonight, but for the weeks. I'll work back all the munny you spent on me. Honest."

Rutonfex lifted his head in thought. True, he had no need to earn back that munny, considering that he could make it all appear then and there with a snap of his finger. But he appreciated the need for a servant.

Holding his hand out, he said "Deal. You'll serve as my personal gofer. Sure you'll have to run errands for me occasionally, but you can still enjoy the high life."

Ian grabbed his hand and shook it vigorously.

"Thank you, thank you, thank you!" he said happily "I'll do my best to help you."

"I know you will." Replied Rutonfex with a smile "Now, let's head over to the bar. First round is on me!"

And they all trekked through the sand to the staircase that led to the hotel.

TO BE CONTINUED…

A/N: And there's interlude part 2. I've just introduced a new OC. He'll play a bigger role in things to come.

As for the title of this chapter, it's after the greatest song ever made by the greatest band that ever existed. I condemn thee if you've never heard it. If you haven't go and listen to it as soon as you're done reading. It's by Queen.  
Once you listen to the song, you'll see how it makes sense for this chapter.

Rutonfex's outfit is what I wore myself during my stay in the Bahamas last year, except for the fedora. That's the fedora that cursedchaos13 gave me for being awesome.

Well, good night everybody. I await your reviews.

The Magnificent Tim Fortune 9/17/08 12:59 AM


	11. A Winter's Tale

Tim Fortune

**Tim Fortune**

**Presents**

**COGNITO**

**Interlude Part 3: A Winter's Tale**

**Edited to remove previously offensive content.**

_**Five Months Later…**_

"And here we have another fine specimen." The auctioneer said as one of his assistants paraded a large African man onto the stage "This guy here will do anything for you. And if you look, he's fairly obedient. No need to be shocked or beaten here. Now what is the opening bid?"

"2000!" a voice shouted from the back of the smoke filled room.

"2000?" the auctioneer said "I think we can do better! This is prime stock I've got here. He's worth a lot more than 2000."

"6000!" another voice shouted out.

"That's more like it! I have 6000! 6000! Anyone gonna beat 6000?"

"10,000!"

"10,000! The bid's now 10,000! I've got 10,000! Anybody? Anybody?"

"12,000!"

"Now it's 12,000! The bidding war continues! Who can top 12,000?"

"15,000!"

The auctioneer's eyes opened wide.

"Now we're getting somewhere!" he smiled "15,000! 15,000 for this fine piece of property! Anymore bids? Anyone?"

He looked around at the crowd that was sitting in the small back room. The auctioneer banged his gavel on his podium.

"Sold for 15,000 orbs. Come on up and take your property."

A man in a leather jacket jogged his way up to the podium. From his pocket, he pulled out a median sized bag and handed it to the auctioneer. They conversed a little bit, but it was inaudible to the rest of the room, as they had returned to talking amongst themselves.

In the far back of the room, underneath a cloud of smoke, Rutonfex sat smoking a large cigar. A cocktail of sorts sat next to his ashtray, which contained the remains of several other cigars. He was dressed in pure black, a black suit, a black shirt, with shiny black shoes. The only part of his outfit that wasn't black was the large purple necktie that he wore. His hair was gelled back behind his ears going straight down the back of his neck. All in all, he looked rather stylish.

Now, what was he doing in a place like this? Entertainment, nothing less.

After his sojourn on the various beaches on the various worlds, it was time to do something else that was in the high life. Now, he spent his days visiting clubs and casinos, mingling amongst the crowd. Sure, sometimes black market games and activities drew him, but just because it was all fun. This wasn't the first slave auction he'd been too. In the five months since he acquired Ian, he'd been to nearly all underground auctions, mainly to have a drink and a smoke and just see what the slavers parade out in front of him.

He never bought any himself. He had no need for them. Ian and his Eva copy filled those servitude roles nicely. He didn't need anymore people.

Since he now had companions on his journey through the stars, he needed a more permanent place to live. He couldn't spend the rest of his days in hotel rooms now could he?

So, on a long forgotten world in the outer territories, he set up his manor, a place he jokingly called the Hotel California. Ian didn't quite get the joke, but he thought that it was an interesting name.

So, the Artisan sat in the back of the room witnessing a slave auction. Compared to some of the others he had been to, this one really wasn't that impressive. At those others, he'd at least been tempted to buy some, even though he had no real use for them. This time, there was nothing that particularly impressed him. He decided that one more cigar and he'll leave. Maybe go back to the manor and read in his library for a bit and enjoy another cigar. The cigars were one of his few vices. He'd always enjoyed smoking them, but during his time with the Organization and then his year as a disembodied memory he'd never had the chance. Xemnas, for some reason, had banned smoking, even though that didn't stop Xigbar from sneaking down into the city and lighting up a cigarette. But they were easy to come by. Cigars were a different story. So, as soon as he hit that first resort world, Rutonfex just bought boxes upon boxes of cigars and smoked nearly half of them that one day. It had been over a year since he had one down in the bowels of the Underworld, as he was working for Hades.

He lit up his last cigar, took a puff and let the smoke join the massive cloud above his head. He drained the last of his cocktail and didn't bother to order another one. He'd dive into his liquor cabinet when he got home. Why not? It was all in good fun right?

"And now that we've got the last of the men out of the way," the auctioneer said putting the bag of munny under his podium "Let's start with the ladies!"

He turned and stuck his head behind the curtain that was on the makeshift stage. Shouting something in an unintelligible language, a hand shot out two young girls. They were both around eighteen and were twins. Sort of. While they had the same height and facial features, one had long blonde hair that fell slightly behind her shoulders and the other had black hair that ended just above hers. But the black haired one looked like she had a piss poor dye job, with various bits of blonde hair standing out from the uniform black.

Another difference was in the way they were carrying themselves. The blonde seemed to be the more nervous of the two, slightly shaking as she peered out into the crowd which was hidden by the spotlight on the stage and the massive cloud of smoke that filled the room. While the black haired one was still nervous (after all, she was about to be sold into slavery), she looked to be the more assertive one of the two. And while she and her sister had the same body type, there was something about her that made it seem like she had filled out more.

"For our first group," the auctioneer said to the audience "We have these two lovely ladies. Guaranteed to thrill you, chill you, and fulfill you." He winked. The audience laughed, while Rutonfex just dropped the ash from his cigar into the ashtray.

"Now, what is our opening bid?"

"5000!" a voice shouted.

"Wow, you must really like what you see!" laughed the auctioneer "But I feel we can do better."

He looked out into the audience.

"Can anyone top 5000? Anyone? Maybe you need a little more incentive."

Turning to the girls, he twirled his forefinger at them and pointed. At that moment, they dropped their ragged garments revealing, well, everything to the crowd.

The audience whooped and hollered like one wouldn't believe. Even the Artisan himself sat up in his chair to get a good look.

"Now," leered the auctioneer "What do we bid?'

Barely able to help himself, Rutonfex shouted "10,000!"

"10,000!" exclaimed the auctioneer with a huge smile "I was right that was some extra incentive! Anyone gonna top that?"

"13,000!" another person shouted.

"15,000!" shouted Rutonfex. He didn't know if it was blind lust or just some feeling of pity, but for some reason he had to have the twins. Maybe it was just lust. He figured that he'd get what he could from them, give them a slight neural re-ordering and set them on their way, no longer his problem.

"15,000 then! We got us a high roller! But I'm sure we can do better, after all, this is a package deal!"

"20,000!" shouted a voice with a harsh, raspy tone. It was the same man in the leather jacket who had bought the man who was previously on the stage.

The auctioneer took a joking step backward.

"Well then, the bid's now 20,000! But I know we can do much better than even that!"

"25,000!" was what Rutonfex shouted next. He was getting in deep, but it was just munny. He could just easily recreate it and he still had a bunch left over from when he cleaned house at one casino a few weeks back.

"Now there's a good size wager!" smiled the auctioneer "Now, I'd be perfectly content with that, but I still feel like someone could do…"

He didn't get a chance to finish as the man in the jacket shouted "32,000!"

The auctioneer's eyes grew wide, as did his smile.

"Now we're getting somewhere! 32,000! Who can top…"

"40,000." Interrupted Rutonfex. He looked up and saw the girls shivering in the cold air, using their arms to hide what they could.

"40,900." Was jackets' reply.

"42,500." Said Rutonfex. Sure, he could have just ended it there with a wave of his hand, but where was the sport in that? He was having some fun bidding munny that he easily had to spare.

The man in the jacket tugged at his collar. It was getting to well over what he wanted to spend, but goddammit, did he want those girls.

Checking the numerous bags of munny that hung in his coat, he shouted "48,728!" It was all the munny he had left.

With a smile, Rutonfex merely said "50,000."

And the bidding was over.

**XIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIII**

Ian leaned back against the limo, taking another puff of his cigarette. The snow and wind whipped around him, so he lifted the collar of his jacket up to protect his face. If he didn't need a cigarette badly, he wouldn't have stepped out. He knew that his beloved Eva hated the smell of cigarette smoke, so he made sure that he lit one up away from her.

She currently sat in the passenger seat of the median sized black limo, just staring, without blinking, out into the snowstorm that was blowing outside. That was all the copy ever did, stare out into space. Rutonfex tried not to make eye contact with it or even to have any sort of contact with his creation. Ian spent nearly all his time with her and, making the Artisan slightly worried about his assistant's mental state, had conversations with her. When Rutonfex was in the room listening to him, he'd hear Ian say something and then respond as if she had replied to him. Even though all she did was just stare unblinkingly into space, never even changing her expression, which was just blankness. There was nothing going on behind those beautiful blue eyes, which was the case as she was just a copy created by Rutonfex to ease Ian, who had earlier in a fit of depression and rage, ended up killing the real Eva, as well as her fiancé.

Now he spent his time working for the Artisan as an assistant of sorts. Previously it had been his job to book the various hotels that they had stayed at, but now, because of the construction of the Hotel California, it was his job to be his driver when he went out to his clubs, cook meals for the group (even though "Eva" never touched what he put in front of her), and do the cleaning around the manor, which was simple, as he and Rutonfex were relatively clean people. Every so often, he'd get to go to the clubs and casinos that his master visited, but most of the time, he just sat out in the car. He didn't mind of course. He had his Eva and life was fine. He actually found himself enjoying working for the Artisan. Of course, it could just be eternal gratitude for giving him his Eva back.

Oh, deep in his heart of hearts Ian knew that the Eva who was with him wasn't the real one, but he ignored it. That was how deep his madness and love ran. He refused to admit that he had removed her spark from the Universe forever and that he was living with a lie. And Lord help anyone who tried to tell him this little fact.

As soon as he finished his cigarette and flicked it away, his boss came walking out of the club. About an hour ago when he entered, he was wearing a black felt fedora (which he had received from some girl during his travels) that kept the snow off his head, black leather gloves (souvenirs, he said, from his time with the Organization), a scarf (knitted for him by the Fates in the Underworld, from his time working for Hades), and a giant black fur coat.

Now, he was lacking the coat. Close behind him, two girls stepped out covered under it. It was lucky that the coat was big enough to cover both of them.

"Ian," Rutonfex said "Could you get the door for my lovely companions?"

"Certainly sir." He replied, opening one of the side doors of the limo. He motioned his hand as a sign for them to go in. They just stood shivering in the cold, unsure of what they should do.

"It's alright girls." Rutonfex said nicely "It's warm in there."

They moved slowly and stepped in. Before the Artisan himself could step in, Ian closed the door.

"Who are they?" he asked.

"They're, um, my purchases." Rutonfex replied, slightly nervously.

"Purchases?" exclaimed Ian "I thought you never bought! I thought you just watched."

"Can't a guy have a change of heart?" his boss replied with a smile.

"But you don't…" Ian began, but Rutonfex stopped him by holding up a hand.

"You know what I mean."

"Anyway," the Artisan continued, adjusting his tie "We now have some new guests who are going to stay with us back at the Hotel."

"Are you gonna tell them, that you're…you know."

"If the need arises, yes." Replied Rutonfex, brushing a little snow off his shoulders "But until then, I'm no different than you my friend. Just a normal, simple guy."

Ian looked at his friend for a bit. After a while, he spoke.

"But why buy them in the first place?"

"Come to think of it," said Rutonfex with a smile "I don't really know. Lust was a probably a key factor, as they both looked so angelic standing there on the stage, hiding nothing from the crowd."

One of Ian's eyebrows went up at that comment.

"Oh yes." Continued the Artisan, his smile growing a bit wider, but then faded a bit when he spoke his next sentence "I'm beginning to think pity had something to do with it. My main competitor was some guy in a leather jacket and well, something inside of me told me that I was the ideal one to have these girls."

"Developing a conscience?" teased Ian.

"You know full well that that was one of the first things I lost when I lost my heart." Rutonfex responded. Shrugging and knocking some more snow off his shoulders, he added "Of course, maybe spending time around you has made me grow one."

Opening the limo's door himself, he turned and said to Ian "Anyway, all I know is I've got two beautiful women who completely belong to me. Play your cards right and you can have one for a bit."

"And cheat on my beloved?" asked Ian, playfully shocked "No way man."

"Your loss." Said Rutonfex as he stepped into the warm interior of the car. Ian shut the door and jogged his way over to the driver's side. Opening the door, he settled into the driver's seat and put the car in drive. He pulled out onto the street and drove away from the club.

**XIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIII**

In the warm interior of the limo, Rutonfex sat looking over at his new property. They were still huddled under his coat, despite the heat. Given that he was a gentleman, he tried to start conversation.

"Well ladies," He said leaning forward in his seat to look at them "I guess a little introduction is in order. My name is Rutonfex. Nothing more, nothing less. Just plain Rutonfex. Now, so we can get to know each other better, what are yours?"

"I don't see a point to this." The black haired one said, her voice a harsh alto "All you're gonna do is just use us. So what's the point of the pleasantries?"

"Well, Ms…" Rutonfex said, twirling his fingers to give her indication that he needed her name. She just glared at him.

"See, if I'm going to talk to you," he continued "I'm gonna need a name."

"Nora. Nothing more, nothing less. Just plain Nora." She replied, turning his earlier statement against him.

"Nora." He said, letting it sink in "That's better."

Turning to her twin, he said "And now I just need yours and we can continue."

"Lora." She said meekly. Unlike her sister, she had a clear, melodic, soprano voice.

"Lora and Nora." Said Rutonfex with a laugh.

"You think that's funny?" Nora, the black haired one, replied.

"A little bit, yes."

"Well, I'd appreciate it if you kept your dumbass rhyming jokes to yourself." She said, a lot of venom in her voice "We may belong to you, but that doesn't mean we have to like you. We'll do what we need to do, but don't think we'll enjoy it."

With a smirk, Rutonfex added "Oh, I think I can make you."

"What?" Nora responded incredulously "You some sort of great lover or something? Well, you're gonna hafta prove it."

"And I will, when I feel inclined." He said, his smirk turning into a full fledged smile. Turning and looking out the window, he pressed a button on his armrest.

"Ian, make a turn here."

After waving his arm in the air, an act which confused the girls and slightly annoyed Nora, he pulled out yet another cigar.

"You mind if I light this up?"

"By all means give us throat cancer." Nora replied sarcastically, rolling her eyes as she said it.

Rutonfex put the cigar back in his shirt pocket. His smile grew a bit wider.

"You and I are going to get along great." He said "I can tell."

"Wonderful." Was her response.

Nora leaned back into the leather seat and closed her eyes, while Lora just sat huddled under the coat, staring with wide eyes at the Artisan. It was a bit unnerving to him, especially since he spent five months having to deal with the exact same thing from the Eva copy.

"Okay, that's really creepy." He said to her.

"What?" she replied.

"That whole staring blankly into space thing." Was his response "I get enough of that from Ian's squeeze, I don't need anymore."

"Sorry." Lora said and turned her head to look out the window.

But instead of the snow she was expecting, she completely shocked to find something else.

"Oh!" she exclaimed, jumping a bit in her seat and accidentally elbowing her sister.

"What the hell?" she exclaimed.

Lora just pointed at the tinted window. Nora leaned over and looked out. She too was expecting to see the snow storm that was happening when they left the club. Instead, they were in a weird sort of nowhere, filled with swirling shades of red and purple.

"Jesus Christ!" she shouted, also jumping back in her seat "Where the hell are we?"

Rutonfex just smiled.

"Betwixt and between my dears." He replied.

"No, seriously." Nora said rolling her eyes "Where the fuck are we?"

"There's really no other name for it." Rutonfex said leaning forward "Even Xehnie himself couldn't come up with a name for it, despite naming pretty much everything else. Unfortunately, Braig gave it that dumb name and it pretty much stuck."

Nora just stared at him, tilting her head to the side a bit.

"I have no idea who those people are." Was her response.

"Don't worry," said Rutonfex, leaning back into his seat "They're just old friends who I hope I never see again."

Looking out the window again, he pressed the same button he had pressed before.

"Right up here Ian." He said, letting go of the button.

The limo moved forward and when Nora looked out the window again, the snow was falling again, but softer than it was when they left the club earlier.

"So, we're back where we started?" Nora asked angrily "What was the point of that little trip 'betwixt and between'?"

"Well, you'd be surprised." Was all Rutonfex said as the limo came to a stop.

Ian came over and opened the limo's door. Rutonfex stepped out and extended his hand to let the ladies out. Nora just shoved his hand out of the way and stepped out into the snow. Wherever they were, it wasn't any where near the club.

Instead, a tall three story house with a large central tower loomed over them. Made of black brick, the snow that fell on it stood out immensely and helped it stand out in the darkness.

"Welcome to the Hotel California!" Rutonfex said holding his arms as wide as his smile.

"What is that supposed to mean?" Nora asked angrily.

"Never you mind my dear." Rutonfex said turning and walking towards the door "Never you mind."

Nora helped Lora out of the limo. The two sisters stood shivering in the snow, despite the coat that still hung on Lora. This was to be their new home, a tall gothic structure in a land of endless winter and night.

"Well sis," Nora said, turning towards Lora "What do you think?"

"It's better than where we were." Replied her sister, the most words she had spoken for a while.

"Maybe. But, what do we really know about this guy?"

"He's rich. Come on, he laid down 50,000 orbs for us like it was nothing. And he has to be better than that creep in the jacket."

"Don't be too sure." Nora replied "I don't know how you've spent the last three years, but I trust me I know these things. Besides, this guy kinda comes off as an asshole don't you think?"

"Maybe if we gave him a chance."

"A chance!" exclaimed Nora "You're just way too trusting. Listen to me, no matter how nice this guy may seem at first, next thing you know a lotta creepy shit is going down."

"And you must know from personal experience." Lora replied rolling her eyes.

"Exactly! Just trust me on this."

"I trusted you three years ago and look where we are now."

"This wasn't my fault!" yelled Nora pointing her finger at her sister "If you hadn't run out on me at that club…"

"If we hadn't gone into that club to begin with then maybe we wouldn't be here!"

"As long as we're talking about maybes," said Nora staring directly at Lora "Maybe we shouldn't have ran away from home in the first place. I could stand here and argue this with you, but it's too fucking cold! Let's just go into that asshole's house."

Nora walked through the snow to the front door of the Hotel California, with Lora close behind.

**XIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIII**

The girls stepped into the warmth of the house. Right away, they noticed that interior was a bit odd. With the exception of the gigantic red stairway in the middle of the room, the carpet and walls were all the same, black with tiny white specks painted on them. Lora thought that the specks were supposed to be stars. It certainly added to the mystique of the room.

On the stairs, Rutonfex came down. He had discarded his fedora, jacket and tie, and had undone a few of the top buttons of his black shirt, as well as rolled up his sleeves.

"Interesting place, no?" he asked with his usual smile.

"Yeah." Lora said, slightly awestruck at this faux portal through time and space. Nora just continued to look slightly annoyed.

"'Yeah'." Repeated Rutonfex walking towards Lora "That all you say? Monosyllabic answers to questions?"

"No…sir." She said shyly.

"The first time so far I've heard you say more than one word!" he exclaimed "This calls for some celebration!"

Turning towards the stairs, he shouted "Ian! Bring some champagne and three glasses to my study!"

Back towards the girls, he said to them "Now, if you head upstairs, you'll find two marked bedrooms. They'll be yours for the duration of your stay in my wonderful Hotel. Laid out on the beds are some lovely new clothes that I feel you'd find much preferable to the rags you're currently wearing. When you've changed, come to my study."

Looking at their faces (and doing a little mind reading as well), he said "To talk. Nothing more."

And with that, he walked over to a section of wall, turned a white knob that the girls had just noticed was there and stepped into another room.

The girls just stood in the front entrance hall, letting the snow that accumulated on them during their time outside felt. Lora let Rutonfex's coat fall to the floor as they fully appreciated the warmth of the manor.

Lora and Nora then looked at each other.

"You think we should listen to him?" Lora said to her sister.

"Got nothing better to do." Nora replied as she walked towards the staircase "But I still believe that this guy's no different than all the others."

"What have you been getting into these past three years?" ask Lora as she followed closed behind.

"Good times, bad times, and just…" she paused and her eyes went practically dead "I don't know. But it wasn't all good."

"Yeah, well." Lora said as she moved further up the stairs "At least we're in a reasonably comfortable place. Compared to what I've been through…"

"Compared to what **I've** been through," Nora snapped "You've done shit."

And in a huff, she continued up the stairs.

They came to the second floor of the house. It was different than the lower level, as it was painted bright red. The walls were all red, as was the carpet. It kind of stunned the eyes to see after the darkness of the foyer. They walked further down the hallway. They passed a door marked "Ian and Eva", but paid no attention to it.

At the end of the hallway, they saw a large black double door that stood out from the all the red. In gold letters across it, it said "Number IX, The Dark Artisan" and underneath, still in gold, was two crossed cutlasses.

"So that's the egomaniac's room." Nora snorted as she looked at "Get a good look sis. We're probably gonna spend a lot of time in there."

"When did you get so cynical?" Lora asked sharply.

"About two years ago. Big guy. Promised me the world. Took everything." Sneered her sister "And I mean everything. So I hold every right to be cynical. I don't what bubble headed fantasy you've been living, but I've seen the real world."

She turned and found herself facing a red door with a sheet of paper labeled "Nora" taped to it. Across the hall, her sister found a similar thing.

"This must be it." She said opening the door.

Lora stepped into her room at the same time. Compared to the ostentatious exterior, the actual room itself was rather nice. The walls were painted a simple dark blue to match the light blue carpet. In fact, blue seemed to be the unifying theme of the room. The bedspread was a dark blue, as was the dresser. Even the sweater and pants combo that lay on the bed was blue, albeit a light blue. Lora smiled a bit at this notion. Blue was after all her favorite color. But something else in the room shocked her.

In the corner, sitting in a light blue armchair, was a violin. She stared at the instrument. It had been years since she had even picked one up. She hadn't quite forgotten how to play; in fact she had been incredibly good at it. But its appearance here was a surprise.

"How did he know?" she said softly just looking at the instrument. Picking it up, she plucked a string. A soft melodic sound emanated from it. The bow was next to it on the chair. She picked that up too and drew it across the strings. The sound was even sweeter than she remembered.

Memories of a simpler time flooded her mind and she began to play. The sound was low, sweet and soothing. Despite the snow that was falling outside her window, Lora felt as if she was standing in a beautiful sunny field as she played. A smile crossed her face as she continued playing.

She would have kept playing if not for the loud knocking on her door.

"Lora!" she heard her sister yelling "Get your ass in gear! We have to go see that douche now!"

Lora put the violin back down on the chair. She'd return to it later.

Stepping out of her rags, she looked over at the clothing that had been laid out for her. While they looked comfortable, something was missing.

"He didn't have the foresight to leave underwear?" she asked herself. Looking over at her dresser, she shrugged and went over and opened the top door. Lying neatly were several bras and pairs of underwear of varying colors.

"Maybe he did think of everything." She mused as she pulled a bra and a pair out of the drawer and put them on. They were even the right fit.

It was beginning to get a little creepy. How did this guy, Rutonfex he called himself, know all this? How did he know her favorite color, her passion for the violin, and even more personally, her underwear size?

"It's unnatural is what it is." She said as put the clothes on her bed on. They too were a perfect fit and comfortable to boot. Looking in the closet on the other side of the room, she found a nice pair of icy blue slippers to put on her feet. It seemed like he had prepared everything for her.

Lora walked out into the bright red hallway. There stood her sister in a sweater and pants combo identical to hers, except hers was orange.

"Weird huh?" Lora said with a smile.

"I know." Nora agreed "This guy knew everything somehow. I wonder how."

"Maybe we should ask when we go down there."

"Yeah, I'm sure we'll get a truthful answer from him." Snorted Nora.

"Couldn't hurt." Her sister added.

"Fine whatever." Was all Nora said as she started towards the stairs. Lora followed. In the bright red hallway, Nora seemed to blend right in with her orange outfit, while Lora stood right out in her blue one. But, both stood out when they entered the cosmic foyer. After feeling around the walls for the knob into the study, they eventually found it and walked in.

The study was painted a duller red, almost maroon. But, not a lot of the wall could be seen, as bookshelves covered a bit of one wall, while another was taken up by a massive fireplace with a bearskin rug in front of it. A reasonably sized fire was blazing in it at the moment. On the wall where the entrance was, a stereo and a wall of CDs sat and hung, waiting to be used. The stereo was already playing some power ballad at decent level, while on the remaining wall, bobbing his head to the music as he smoked yet another cigar, Rutonfex sat. His eyes were closed and he was moving his hands as if he was conducting the musicians playing over the stereo.

"Hey!" Nora shouted towards him.

His eyes shot open and he looked at them.

"Ahh, welcome ladies, welcome." He said sitting straight up in his chair. He dropped ash into an ashtray that stood next to his chair. It was a bit perilous, as a minor mountain of ash had built up in it.

Nora looked at it and said "Jesus, how many of those do you smoke?"

Taking a puff of his current one, he let the smoke slowly escape his mouth.

"Enough." He said, a smile still plastered on his face "But take a seat ladies. I just want to have a friendly chat with you."

"For now." Nora said under her breath as she walked over to a nearby armchair. Lora followed suit. Rutonfex noticed this and turned over to the blonde.

"Do you just do everything she does or something?"

"No." she said. She couldn't help it. Every time she was around him, she just uttered a single word as an answer. She didn't know why. He didn't seem to be that bad, no matter what her cynical sister thought. So far, he'd been nothing but genial towards the girls. Granted that smile that was always on his face was a bit unnerving, but he described her staring blankly into space the same way. She had gotten a good look at him during their time in the limo. She thought that he was rather handsome in an offbeat way, what with the goatee and all. Plus, she thought that he had an odd charm about him. The kind of thing that could either repulse you or entice you. It seemed that his personality was doing that to the twins.

He seemed like a nice guy. After all, he had given them nice rooms with nice amenities, despite the fact that he could have easily thrown them into a basement dungeon to wait until he felt like having them. Lora didn't know what to think. On the outside, there was no reason to hate or be fearful of him, other than the fact that he had just purchased them at a slave auction. But what were his motives? Was he trying to get them to trust him so that what he probably intended to do could go easier?

It was a bit complicated. Lora had never really been good at reading other people, nor did she have the level of cynicism that her sister did. Most of the time, she didn't know what someone was going to do until they actually did it.

Maybe Nora was right. Maybe she was too trusting. But trust didn't have anything to do with it. With his offbeat personality and slight good looks, could she be falling for her new owner?

_Impossible_ she thought. She had only known him for maybe a half-hour. She was supposed to be the clear headed rational one of the two. How could she fall for this strange man?

Maybe she was jumping the gun a bit with that thought. After all, he could turn out to be a complete bastard later on.

"Again with the one word answers!" he exclaimed with mock annoyance "Jesus! Not much of a conversationalist are you?"

"Maybe she just doesn't want to talk to you." Nora said firmly "You ever think of that?"

"Excuse me," he replied looking at her "But do you speak for her? I don't think so. Christ almighty, you two hadn't seen each other for three years prior to being bought by the same slaver, so now you're thick as thieves?"

"How did you…" Nora began. Rutonfex's eyes went wide at his little Freudian slip. True they didn't outright tell him, but he had gotten the information from their minds almost as soon as he bought them.

"Well, um…" he stammered. That was probably the biggest mistake he made since he had taunted Xehnie into attacking him way back when. How was he going to explain this to them? Mentalists weren't anything new, but most of them were charlatans and frauds. A real one was hard to come by. And then he'll have to explain where he'd got them in the first. Doing a quick mental scan, he found that Lora would probably believe whatever he told her, but Nora was a whole other story.

"Well, you see," he began, as he was pretty sure he had a convincing lie "I'm kind of a mind reader."

Both girls' eyes grew wide at that.

"So that's how you knew about the violin!" Lora said.

"Ahh, you found that." Replied the Artisan with a smile "Always glad to be of assistance."

"Alright Kreskin," Nora said looking over at him "If you can read minds, what number am I thinking of right now."

"17,884." He answered calmly.

"Hmm, maybe you can read minds." She replied.

"Why yes of course Nora Elise." He smiled. Her eyes grew a little wider. He had just used her middle name, something she had dropped years ago, when she just became, well, Nora.

"Now don't be too alarmed." He said, taking another puff of his cigar "I can control when I do it. So if you don't want me intruding on your mind, just let me know. It's as simple as that."

The girls just looked at each other, as Rutonfex let the smoke slowly exit his mouth. With another quick scan, he found that they were somewhat believing him, but there was some doubt. Thankfully, it wasn't much.

"Well then," he said, dropping more ash onto the mountain that already was there "Not that we got that out of the way, we can move onto more pressing matters. First off, the Hotel is your new home. I know it's not big and all, but feel free to go anywhere you like. Since you really can't hide anything from me, why should I from you?"

Although gracious on the outside, he would still be concealing the most major fact about him; that of his status as a being who was not quite human. He'd let them know if he felt like it, but what would be the point now? Better to keep them in ignorance than have to deal with awkward questions. Besides, they'd probably have no clue what a Nobody was. That race was still unknown to all except the highest intellectuals and for most them they were a theoretical race any way.

"Next," he continued "Please don't consider yourselves my property. I don't see it that way. You're more along the lines of…permanent guests."

Nora snorted at that comment. Rutonfex snapped his head to look at her.

"Yes?" he said, turning his head slightly to the side.

"Oh nothing." Said Nora flippantly.

"You may not like me very much, but at least respect that I'm trying to be nice to you!" he responded, slightly annoyed "I could have easily allowed you to be bought by that other asshole. Would you have preferred that?"

"I'd prefer that I wasn't in this situation." She replied with gritted teeth.

"Sweetie," Rutonfex said a little too sweetly "If you didn't want this fate, you never should have listened to that guy in the Ox Club. But you did, and now you're here. Besides, your sister isn't complaining. Hell, she's barely talking at all."

Nora just snorted again and remained silent. Lora just continued to look at him with wide eyes.

"Forgive the not talking comment." He said turning and looking at her. When he did, she looked away from him. "Now, now there's no need for that. I'm not going to do anything you don't want me to."

"I'll believe it when I see it." Nora muttered under her breath. Rutonfex just ignored her.

"I'm not the bad guy here." He said reaching over and taking her hand "I'm just a simple man with extravagant tastes. I may have purchased you two at an auction, but that doesn't mean we can't be friends. Hell, I give you your freedom! You two no longer belong to me."

"Then I'm outta here!" Nora exclaimed as she jumped out of her armchair "C'mon sis. We're leaving."

"To where?" asked Lora.

"Any where! As along as it's far away from this maniac."

"Go ahead." Rutonfex said, taking a puff of his cigar and letting the smoke slowly leave his mouth "I'm not going to stop you. You're free. But just a little piece of advice. The snow outside will never stop, as well as the darkness. The entire size of this place is only slightly bigger my house here, so there's no where to go on this world. Plus, Gummi ships don't come here. All travel is dependant on my car out front."

That was another lie. Like most Nobodies, he opened paths to Betwixt and Between to get where he needed to go. But since the girls had only traveled with him in the limo, it made some sense.

"But don't try using it." He continued "That function only works for me and Ian."

"Alright, alright, alright!" Nora exclaimed angrily "What the hell is going on here? You purchase us, bring us here, free us, and then tell us we can't leave? What the fuck is up with you? What do you want from us?"

"Is a little companionship too much to ask for?" he replied, hanging his head, but still keeping his eyes on Nora.

"Oh, so you got lonely and bought yourself a couple of fuck buddies, right?" Nora said rolling her eyes.

"That's what probably made me make the first bid." Rutonfex responded with a shrug.

"And every orb more was because of my tits, huh?" said Nora folding her arms across her chest "Admit it."

"God almighty," exclaimed Rutonfex leaning back in his chair in exasperation "Do you ever shut up? Jesus! Ever since you got here, it's been 'blah blah blah blah blah' with you! I'm giving you a good thing here. A nice house, nice clothes, the promise of nice food, hell, practically everything you could ask for and I all I get is bitched at. You just can't accept that I'm a nice guy?"

"They're always the worst offenders." She replied icily.

Okay, sure, he had planned on using them for what the slaver probably intended for them to be used for, but somehow, he felt maybe a twinge guilty at forcing them. Of course, it was the memory that such a thing would be wrong that drove him, but never the less, he didn't want to force these two girls into anything. After all, conquest was a thrill in and of itself.

"Well, just accept my hospitality." He said stubbing out his cigar "It's the best thing that could possibly happen to you."

"Fine." Nora said walking towards the door out "I'll accept your 'hospitality', but don't think I'm gonna do anything for you. Ever."

And with that, she walked out the door and slammed it, leaving Lora alone with Rutonfex.

"Wow, just wow." He said leaning over to his other side, pulling the champagne bottle out of the ice and pouring himself a glass "I really can't see how you're related to her and are actually her twin. It's mind boggling."

He took a sip of the drink. Lora just stared at him again.

"Why do you keep doing that?" he said when he noticed "Please stop! Seriously. I'm told I creep people out when I smile, but goddammit, being stared it creeps _**me**_ out."

"Sorry." She said, lowering her head, but still keeping her eyes on him.

"And we continue with the one word answers!" he exclaimed "Your sister isn't here; you can talk to me like an adult."

"Alright." She responded. She couldn't think of what else to say. Although she had her suspicions deep in her head, she always was kind of shy. Back on her home world, she really only had one friend. A weird guy named Ela. He was an interesting fellow who was about 3 or 4 years older than she was, with long red hair that he normally wore spiked. He had a weird habit of flicking a lighter open and closed, as well as memorizing trivia and relaying the facts back to people, all while asking "Got it memorized?"

He was weird, but he was a good friend. Really, he was her only friend. She had always had trouble meeting new people, but he came up to her one day with his care-free attitude and devil-may-care smile. He had become a minor celebrity of sorts for nearly burning his face off. It wasn't serious enough to warrant skin grafts or disfigure him, but he had suffered a few burns underneath his eyes. To disguise and perhaps draw attention to it, he tattooed green teardrops over the burns.

He had found her sitting under a tree and did what he usually did to people, ask them a question, give them an answer and then just say "Got it memorized?" Most people found that habit annoying, but Lora found it particularly funny and they became fast friends. When she ran away from that world with her sister, she didn't tell Ela, worried that it might break his heart to see her go. She never did find out what happened to him after she left. She hoped that he hadn't set a fire that burned him worse than the previous one.

Rutonfex had pretty much drained his glass and was about to pour himself some more. Leaning over to her he asked "Care for some?"

Lora just shrugged and said "Sure."

The Artisan handed poured himself another glass and then poured hers. Handing to her, he raised his glass and said "Cheers", before downing about half of it.

Lora just took a tiny sip. She hadn't really drunk much during her time on the road. Mostly, after being separated from Nora early on, she stayed near universities and libraries, blending in as best she could. Before being captured by that slaver a few weeks back, she found a world that really appealed to her. Sure, the technology was lacking, but the air and scenery were nice. There were even some interesting people. She particularly enjoyed conversations with the Commodore in charge of the military forces. If she never went anywhere else ever again, she'd be content just to remain in Port Royal.

There was an awkward pause between Lora and Rutonfex. The only sound that could be heard was the ticking of the clock on the far wall. Lora finally broke the silence.

"So what now?" she asked.

"Hmm?" murmured Rutonfex as he looked over at her.

"What's going to happen now? Do we just stay here? What do we do?"

"Ahh," Rutonfex nodded "Well, what happens now is entirely up to you. The house is yours to run free in, so enjoy it. As for what do you do, well anything. You can avoid me for the duration of your stay. I won't mind. If I need companionship, I've got Ian." He chuckled nervously.

"But why?" she asked. Nora may not have gotten the answer to that question, but Lora felt that she could.

"I'm just a nice guy who took pity on two girls." He replied with a smile "Nothing more. I'm no saint, but occasionally I surprise myself with my good deeds."

Lora just looked at him sideways. There was definitely more going on with this man than he was letting on. Or maybe there wasn't. She certainly couldn't tell.

Putting her still full champagne glass on her armrest, she got up from the chair.

"Well Mr. Rutonfex," she began, but was cut off by him.

"No, no. Not 'Mr. Rutonfex'." He said "Just Rutonfex. That's all."

"Well, Rutonfex," she said again "I thank you for your hospitality."

"Any time love." He smiled and raised his half full glass to her.

"But I just don't know." She sighed "You seem like a good guy, but I just don't know. What are your real intentions?"

"If you want the truth," he said, placing his glass on his armrest and standing up "My intentions are for you to not do anything you're uncomfortable with doing. If you ever want to just talk, well, I'm in here most of the time. Just stop over and we can chat. Nothing more."

He gave her a slight smile and it made her blush.

"Okay, well…um…good night." She stammered as she walked out the door.

Rutonfex sat down in his chair. Reaching into his shirt pocket, he pulled out another cigar and lit it up. Tilting his head back, he watched the smoke escape his mouth and float towards the ceiling.

"Interesting pair those two." He said with a smile.

They really were. Reaching into Lora's mind, he was cheered at the fact that she really didn't think he was up to anything. She was actually beginning to trust him.

Normally, that would be great, as it would relatively easy to get her into bed down the road. But, the Artisan found that she just didn't see her in that way. For some unknown reason, he found himself looking at her like that of a sister or a niece. More that he'd like to spend time with her rather than lay her. For him that was an odd feeling. For the past few months he had done nearly everything in his power to get women into his bed. He hadn't been above using a few mental pushes to achieve his ends, but he still liked working for it a bit. Again, it was the thrill of victory.

But with Lora, he just couldn't see himself doing that. Instead, he found that it would be preferable if he just talked with her.

"Maybe Ian's right." He laughed as he took a drag of his cigar "Maybe I am growing a conscience."

Nora on the other hand…

That would be a sweet victory if he managed to turn her. He smiled as he looked into her thoughts and found that behind the bitchiness and cynicism, there was just a scared girl who had to grow up too fast and who didn't want to get hurt again.

If he had a heart, he'd have found that touching. If he had a heart. But since he didn't, all he could do is smile and see what the following days would bring.

**XIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIII**

Lora woke up with her alarm blaring classical music loudly. Reaching over, she shut it off and sat up in her bed. Yawning and stretching, she looked out the window of her room, but remembered that view was still the same: Dark and snowy.

It was her seventh day of staying at what Rutonfex had called the Hotel California, a name that Lora didn't quite understand. The place wasn't a hotel and with the weather like it was, it was certainly no where near California. So what in the world could it mean?

Early on, she decided that she wouldn't waste a lot of time pondering about it. The guy had a few eccentricities, so what was that one? Come on, he lived in a place that only had one season and one time of day as far as she could see: winter and night. How he could live like this was just one of the mysteries about the man.

Stepping out of her bed, she went over to the bathroom and ran the shower. When it reached the right temperature (very hot, to combat the outside cold that seeped in), she stepped out of her nightgown and into the heated paradise.

The hot water felt good against her skin as she ran her hands through her long blonde hair. Despite living there for seven days, Lora still didn't feel at home in the manor.

Sure, she had everything she could ever want, but there was just something missing, something she couldn't quite put her finger on. It was discomforting, like an annoying gnat on the back of her neck.

She was sure that maybe things would be better once she spent more time there. Plus, she hadn't really "felt at home" in most of the places she stayed during her three year trek through the stars. Port Royal came close, but its lack of modern technology got to her sometimes.

Here though, the whole place was thoroughly modern. Electricity ran through the entire house, even though she didn't see any electrical wires attached to the house on the few times she ventured outside, all bundled up just to walk in the snow and think. The whole place was kind of weird. The foyer always kind of freaked her out whenever she stepped foot in it and she was always blinded by the red of the second floor.

But on the third floor, she felt a bit at home. First off, it followed the same scheme as the second floor, but this time, everything was in shades of blue. The carpet was incredibly soft and sometimes she would go there and just lie on it. In fact, two days earlier, she had actually fallen asleep on it. She hadn't even realized it. It was only when Nora came and kicked her in the side that she even knew she had nodded off.

The third floor did kind of remind her of a hotel, as it was just a long hallway with six doors on each side and one at the end of the hallway. It seemed like he was expecting visitors, but they never came.

On the ceiling, a string attached to a trapdoor hung in the middle. The trapdoor led to the tower that was seen on the outside of the house. Lora didn't go up there. Who knew what he had hidden away there? She didn't want to think about it.

After finishing with her hair and all that, Lora turned the shower off. It was a shame to lose that heat, but she couldn't spend all day in there. Reaching over, she grabbed a towel and after drying her face with it, hung it around her body. Another towel was then used for her hair.

Stepping back into the cold air of her new bedroom, she went searching through her drawers for something to wear. It seems that with his telepathic abilities, Rutonfex had managed to get pretty much everything she liked. The question still remained as to how he had acquired everything prior to their arrival there, as it was all there when they had arrived at his house a week earlier.

After drying off and putting underwear on, Lora chose a pair of black sweat pants, a gray t-shirt and a black hoodie to wear. Despite the relative heat of the house, the cold air from the endless winter still got in, so they needed to dress warm. Going back into the bathroom, she tied her hair back into a ponytail and brushed her teeth.

When that was done, she left her room to head downstairs. She passed by her sister's room and hearing the heavy breathing coming from behind the door, she figured that Nora must still be asleep. It was like this back home. Lora would always be up relatively early, while Nora just slept most of the day away. It drove their parents crazy, but was always brushed off when Sleeping Beauty finally emerged.

Lora headed downstairs and went over to the kitchen. When she walked in, she saw Ian standing over the stove making breakfast. He then turned and looked at her.

"Mornin'" he said as he continued to push the eggs in the frying pan around with a spatula.

"Good morning to you too." She responded as she headed over to the coffee maker. Nearly all the coffee was still in the pot, which meant…

"He not awake yet?" asked Lora as she grabbed a mug and started pouring.

"He had a bit of a busy night." Said Ian, putting the frying pan down and opening the oven to check on the bacon "So, he won't be down for another hour or so. In the meantime, I've got a good breakfast going."

Lora took a carton of half and half out of the fridge and pour a bit into her coffee. The breakfast that he was making smelled delicious.

"What do we got?" she asked as she dumped spoonful after spoonful of sugar into the mug.

"A little bit of everything." He responded as he flipped a pancake in another frying pan in the air.

"Nice." Lora replied, taking a seat at the small 6 person table that sat in the middle of the kitchen "I'll take a few pancakes."

"Coming right up!" said Ian putting the pancakes down. A small stack was already sitting on a plate in the corner.

"How long were you making this?" she asked, as he put a plate and a fork and knife in front of her.

"I got up around two hours ago and just thought 'I'll make everyone breakfast.'" Replied Ian with a smile.

Lora hadn't really seen much of Rutonfex's assistant around the house. Usually he was off doing some errand, driving Rutonfex off to wherever he went or spending time up in his room with Eva. Lora hadn't met Eva, but she had been mentioned frequently. Rutonfex had said that she mostly just stares into space and it freaked him out. If that was the case, Lora wasn't sure she ever wanted to meet this Eva.

Ian placed a few pancakes on her plate, as well as a bottle of syrup next to it. She immediately dug in. They were delicious. That was to be expected of course. Ian did most of the cooking and he certainly had a talent for it. Why two days ago, he cooked everyone a massive Italian meal. While everyone didn't eat at the table, they still enjoyed it. As she was taking a plate back to her room, she had overheard Rutonfex talking to Ian about how the sauce he used was good, but it couldn't compare to that of his fathers.

When she was finished with her meal, she put the plate into the sink, grabbed her mug and left the kitchen. She then went into the study. While most of the books were of the kind that interested Rutonfex (mostly comics and science fiction), he did have a few that looked pretty interesting to her.

Grabbing a few, she went back into her room, sat down in her armchair and began to read. It was an alright existence. The comfort that she had was great. Even though the place didn't feel like home, she felt that it could if she gave it some time.

After a few hours, she put her book down and left the room. Going up to the third floor, she went into one of the rooms. This was a music room of sorts. Shelves of sheet music were up against one wall, while right in front of the picture window, which gave a good view of the moon and the snow, was a white grand piano. In the corner, stood her violin as well as a music stand.

When she discovered this room two days earlier, shortly after she woke up from her nap on the carpet. It was the ideal place for her to place that violin that had been given to her by Rutonfex and the vibe the room gave off just felt right whenever she played.

Picking it up from the floor, she drew the bow across the strings and began to play. Slowly at first, but eventually she picked up speed. The notes flowed out melodically and the room was filled with the beautiful music. Lora closed her eyes and let the sound take her away. In her mind, she traveled the far distant stars and saw the universe as a whole. If this wasn't inner peace, she didn't what was.

"Beautiful, just beautiful." A voice behind her said.

Lora opened her eyes and saw Rutonfex standing there, his hands in his pockets just looking at her.

"I'm glad you liked it." She replied with a slight bow.

"I always appreciate good music." He smiled as he walked towards her "Tis but one of my many passions."

He didn't walk up to her, but instead sat at the piano. Cracking his fingers, he began to play. It was the same song that Lora had been playing earlier. Picking up on this, she drew her bow across the strings and joined in.

The sound of the two instruments filled the room. It was captivating. Wherever he learned how to play, Rutonfex was good. His fingers flew up and down the keys, striking each with mathematical precision to produce sounds of such beauty. Lora moved the bow up and down across the strings to complement and add to the sound that was emanating from the piano. For that moment, the entire world completely slipped away and all that remained was music.

The snow danced beautifully outside as the duet continued. In a way, it almost seemed to move in time to the rhythm. Twisting and weaving as it fell to the ground, it kept perfect time. It was if the heavens themselves had shown that they loved the art that was being produced in that room.

They both finished with a flourish. Rutonfex leaned back on his piano stool and smiled as he looked up at the ceiling.

"That was amazing." He said after a while "Usually I just come up here myself. Ian can't really play anything, so I have to just play my piano all by my lonesome."

"You were great." Lora said, putting her violin down on the floor.

"Please," replied Rutonfex with a wave of his hand "I'm not that good. Well, maybe a little."

"No." said Lora, now sitting next to him on the piano stool "You were brilliant."

It was unknown what kind of electricity had sparkled through the air, but almost on impulse, Lora leaned over and kissed the Artisan. His eyes were wide with shock at first, but slowly closed as he placed his hand on her hair and began to stroking it. After a blissful eternity, their lips parted. Lora's face turned bright red and her eyes shot open.

"Sorry…I just…I gotta go!' she stammered as she ran out the door.

Rutonfex watched her leave and when she was gone; he put his hands behind his head, leaned back and smiled.

Lora ran the stairs and back into her room. Throwing herself on her bed, she began berating herself for the stupid, impulsive move she made up there.

What had come over her? Was it just the emotions that had ran through the room at the time? The sheer beauty of the music? What? What? What?

She didn't know. She didn't want to face him again, because that was really embarrassing. So, she just sat on her bed and looked out the window to watch the falling snow.

**XIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIII**

Rutonfex left the music room humming the same tune that he and Lora had been playing earlier. Even with his mental powers he couldn't have guessed that she would have kissed him like that.

He smiled at the thought. Whatever he thought of her, it was still uplifting that she thought of him that way.

He gave her head a quick scan and found that she was incredibly embarrassed what had she had done. A small nagging voice in the back of his head told him that he should go up there and talk with her. But he ignored it. The long dead memory of the conscience he never had sometimes bugged him, but it was always ignored. Why should he listen to it? It was a memory, nothing more. His real conscience disappeared when he lost his heart.

So, he kept walking. He was sure that in a few days, the embarrassment would die down for her and things could go back to the semi-normality that existed in the Hotel California for the week since their arrival.

Lora had at least tried to make the best of the situation she was placed in. She may have felt a bit of discomfort now, but Rutonfex knew that she was slowly getting used to life there.

Nora, on the other hand, was seemingly resisting every single urge to feel at home. While he saw Lora out and about a few times during the week, Nora almost exclusively stayed in her room. She'd come down for food, but would always make sure that he was nowhere to be found whenever she did.

Rutonfex couldn't help but smile as he thought about it. He knew that underneath the façade was just a girl who plainly wanted some stability after three years of almost exclusive uncertainty and to be able to trust people again after being let down and abused for so long. Again, he would have felt bad for her if he had a heart.

Putting no more thought into it, he went down to the first floor and into his study. He'd listen to a little music, maybe have a drink, or another cigar, and just relax. He had no plans to leave the house that night. It was to be a simple relaxing evening at home. Nothing more.

Rutonfex walked in and went about his almost pre-programmed path. He went over to the stereo and turned it on. Having left a CD in there the night before, it automatically began playing _Bohemian Rhapsody_. Moving his hands in time to the beat, he walked over to the liquor cabinet and fridge. Taking a glass, he poured a can of Dr. Pepper into it, and then proceeded to add rum, all while moving in time to the rhythm of the music and singing along.

Taking a seat in his favorite armchair, he slowly sipped his drink staring at the fire that was roaring in the fireplace. That's when he noticed that he wasn't alone in the room.

On the other side of the room, standing in front of the book shelf, was Nora. Despite the cold that routinely seeped into the house, she was wearing a plain black tank top along with tight black jeans. Rutonfex had to admit that she pretty damn attractive in that outfit, even with the slight scowl on her face. She apparently had been watching him since the moment he entered the room.

"Oh, hello." He said with a smile.

"Yeah, hi." She replied with a glare.

"Jesus," said Rutonfex, standing up and walking over to her "Still with this! It's been a week already!"

"Duly noted." She said crossing her arms across her chest.

"You may not have to like me…" he began.

"I don't." interrupted Nora.

"But," Rutonfex continued "At least don't act like a bitch."

"Oh, I'm sorry." She said sarcastically "You're right. I have no reason to 'act like a bitch'. All that's happened to me is that I was purchased as a slave to a bizarre egomaniac."

"Have I made you do anything that you'd imagine a slave like you would have down?" he asked "In the past week, how many times have I ordered you to go to my room? Not one fucking time!"

"Doesn't mean you don't plan to." Was her response, her scowl getting bigger.

"Oh give it up!" Rutonfex exclaimed, throwing his hands in the air in exasperation "You forget! I'm a mind reader! I know what's really going on in that head of yours! You may act like a tough as nails cunt to my face, but I know that deep in your mind you're crying your eyes out! All you want is some stability! And I'm offering it to you! All you have to do is drop this ridiculous façade!"

"You want me to drop the façade?" she screamed back at him "Okay then!"

Rearranging her face so that her eyes grew wide and innocent, she began talking in a voice that was higher than her usual speaking voice.

"Gee, I don't really know you all that well, but you seem to be a nice guy and all! Of course I'll take a drink of that. Ooo, I'm feeling a little woozy. Keep drinking you say? Alright then! Gee, what are you pulling out? Oh, that's really interesting. Put it in my mouth? Okay!"

With the same wide eyed innocent look on her, she began to imitate a very obscene act. Rutonfex's eyes also grew wide, but in shock.

After wiping some imaginary substance from her mouth, she continued with the routine.

"That didn't taste very good. But as long as you're happy! What now? Take off my top? Well, since you're a nice guy and all…"

She then mimed taking off her shirt. When that action was done, she continued the act.

"I'm happy that you like what you see! Oh my, I'm still feeling a little woozy. I think I'm gonna sit down."

Then, her face changed from wide eyed and innocent, back to her scowl.

"Then, I pass out," her voice had returned to its normal pitch "And I wake up to something horrible. That's what acting like a sweet little ingénue got me. So, I guess I'll remain a 'tough as nails cunt', as it's served me well for a good deal of the time."

The two of them stared at each other in silence for a while. In the background, the music was still playing, but they ignored it. There was too much tension in the room.

"Alright fine." Said Rutonfex breaking the agonizing silence "Just keep doing what you're doing. Believe me, it suits you well. That whole naïve ingénue thing was a little unsettling."

"Could you believe it was actually me up until about two years back?"

"That, my dear," Rutonfex said with a smile as he walked back towards his chair "I don't believe. There's no way in hell that that person ever was you. Lora, maybe…but you? No chance."

"And why's that?" she asked, dropping her scowl for real and placing her hands on her hips.

"Well, let's see," he responded as he sat down and took a sip of his drink "Probably because…oh I don't know, you just seem to be a more assertive person than that. I don't believe for a second that you'd let a guy walk all over you like that."

"Believe it, because it happened." She said walking towards the chairs. She took a seat in one right next to the Artisan.

"Nah." He said with a wave of his hand "Not a chance. You can handle yourself pretty well."

"Are you trying to flirt with me?" she asked with a smile instead of a scowl.

"Is it working?" he smiled back.

"Not at all." Replied Nora, the smile still remaining on her face. It was a more pleasant sight than her usual scowl.

"What do you got to drink around here?" she asked looking around.

"Check the liquor cabinet." Said Rutonfex pointing it out. She got up from her seat and went over to it. When she walked back, she had an entire bottle of vodka in her hand. She unscrewed the cap and took a long swig.

"Ahh," she said after she finished drinking "That's the good stuff."

Rutonfex smiled and took a sip of his drink.

"What?" she said, snapping her head in his direction.

"I didn't say anything."

"I know." She replied, taking another swig "But you were thinking something?"

"Was I now?" he said with a laugh "Excuse me, but I thought I was the telepath here."

"Well then Mr. You Can't Keep Secrets From Me," she said with a smile "What am I thinking?"

Rutonfex looked right at her. Slowly his face turned a little white and then he burst out laughing.

"You got some real lady-like thoughts in there!" he could barely contain his laughter "I mean…wow."

Nora's smile just grew a little wider and she shrugged.

"Hey, it's just who I am." She replied, knocking back another sip from the bottle. Rutonfex drained his glass and went over to the liquor cabinet. He returned to his seat with a bottle of rum.

"If you're just going to drink that all by yourself," he said unscrewing the cap "Then I guess I'll knock this back."

He lifted the bottle to his lips and took a long drink. When he finished, he coughed a bit and winced.

"Damn, that's some strong shit!"

"Wuss." Replied Nora drinking from her bottle.

"Oh it's on now bitch!" he shouted playfully "Let's do this! You and me. First one to finish is the winner."

"You're on."

And they each took long drinks from their respective bottles. They stopped only to breathe, and once they caught their breaths, they just continued.

They both finished their bottles at the exact same time. Each began panting.

"Gonna call it quits?" Rutonfex said, feeling pretty light headed.

"Not yet." She smirked back.

The two of them grabbed smaller bottles from the cabinet and began pouring them down their throats.

_**30 minutes later…**_

"_Can anybody find me somebody to love?_" Rutonfex sang along to the song currently playing on the stereo. After downing one two-liter bottle of rum and three smaller bottles, he was pretty much off his ass. Since Nora had nearly exactly the same amount, she swaying a bit back and forth in her chair.

Rutonfex stood up and felt a little dizzy, but he still kept singing.

"_Each morning I get up I die a little, can barely stand on my feet._"

Ironically, he nearly stumbled on that line, but caught himself before he fell. Nora laughed and hiccupped at the same time.

"_Take a look in the mirror and cry 'Lord what're you doing to me? I spent all my years in believing you, but I just can't get no relief! Oh, somebody, somebody, somebody, somebody, can anybody find me, somebody to love?"_

Nora then stumbled to her feet and joined in.

"_I work hard,_" she sang her voice surprisingly beautiful, even while completely off her ass "_Everyday of my life; I work till I ache in my bones."_

"_At the end of the day, I take home,_" Rutonfex continued "_My hard earned pay, all on my own."_

The two of them sang in drunken unison.

"_I go down on my knees and I (praise the Lord) start to pray, till the tears run down from my eyes. Lord! Somebody, somebody, somebody, somebody, can anybody find me, somebody to love?"_

Rutonfex then took over singing, and began dancing as he did it, to Nora's delight.

"_I work hard, everyday, I try and I try and I try! But everybody wants to put me down! They say I'm going crazy! They say I got a lotta water in my brain! I got no common sense; I got nobody left to believe in!"_

During the guitar solo, Rutonfex grabbed Nora and they began to drunkenly waltz across the room, continuing as the vocals picked up. When the next verse began, they sang along as they continued dancing.

"_I got no feel, I got no rhythm, I just keep losing my beat. Yeah, I'm okay, I'm alright, I ain't gonna face no defeat! I just gotta get out of this prison cell, someday I'm gonna be free, Lord!_"

And as the song continued with its slow chorus of "_Find me somebody to love_", Nora and Rutonfex stopped dancing and looked straight into each others eyes. Taking her head in his hands, he lowered his face down and kissed her passionately. She closed her eyes and enjoyed every blissful second. Their lips parted and as soon as the final "_Somebody to love"_ played, they embraced and kissed again, this time with even more passion.

They broke apart and Rutonfex ran and locked the door to the study, taking his shirt off as he went. After dimming the lights so that only the light from the fireplace shone, he made his way over there, as a black tank top and jeans flew past him. Curled up in the bearskin rug on the floor, Nora waited for him coyly.

His smile grew wider with every step he took towards her. Sitting down on the floor, he undid the belt to his pants and slid them off. Grabbing her, he softly kissed her neck as she moaned with passion. He gently laid her down on the floor and pressed his lips next to hers. Up above the fire place, a window threw some moonlight into the scene, as the snow raced down from the sky.

**XIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIII**

Rutonfex awoke slowly. It took him a while to figure out that he wasn't in his bed, but a little longer to remember that he was on the floor in his study. The fire that had been roaring earlier was now down to smoldering embers, so that the only light was that of the moon.

Turning on his side, he saw Nora leaning up on the floor just looking at her.

"Morning." He said with a smile as the memories of the previous night came back to him.

"What are you?" she asked softly.

"Huh?" was all he said as he sat up.

"What are you?" she asked again.

"What do you mean 'what am I'?"

"I mean, what kind of man lacks a heartbeat?" She answered "During a night such as that, hearts are usually being in unison, but I heard only mine. Where was yours?"

"Oh boy." Rutonfex responded hanging his head. Passions had run so high the night before that he had forgotten about that little detail. With his previous conquests, he had always managed to manipulate their minds so that they heard the corresponding heartbeat. He had completely forgotten to do that.

"What are you exactly?" Nora asked in slight confusion "Why don't you have a heartbeat? Are you like a vampire or something?"

Despite the awkwardness of his position, he couldn't help but smile at that comment.

"No, I'm not a vampire." He said. With a sigh, he continued "What I am is something completely different. Something that few had ever heard of. Something that I had wanted to keep hidden from you until the time was right for me to reveal it. But since, we've gotten to know each other so well, I feel like maybe you should hear the truth."

With a deep breath, he said "I'm a Nobody."

"A nobody?" Nora said with a smile "I think you're selling yourself a bit short there."

"No, no." he replied "That's the name of my race. Nobodies. Beings that continue onward after their hearts are lost."

Nora sat up in amazement.

"After their hearts are lost?" she repeated "What does that mean?"

"I'll simplify it a bit. You see, a human is made up of three parts: a heart, a soul and a body. The body is the shell that they all reside in, while the soul gives the body life. The heart, according to some theories, is where emotions and the conscience lay. It's also home to the darkness and light within people. People who have a high amount of darkness are sometimes consumed by it and become something known as a Heartless."

"Ah, I know about those." Replied Nora.

"Of course, they're a big thing in the news right now." Continued Rutonfex "But what is unknown to most, is that when a Heartless is created, the body and soul are left behind. Most of the time, they just disappear into nothingness. But sometimes, if a person's will is strong enough, they continue onward and become Nobodies."

"So, you lost your heart at some point?" she asked, her mouth slightly open.

"Yes." He said "It was about two and a half years ago. A creator of Heartless, an old friend of mine from way back named Ienzo found me. He had gone through the process and now was a Nobody by the name of Zexion. He was a high ranking member of a group of Nobodies that had still retained human form."  
"Still retained human form?" repeated Nora "But I thought…"

"No, no. Usually a Nobody is some grotesque barely humanoid creature. Somehow, Ienzo and seven others in the group had managed to keep looking Human. He theorized, and their leader and chief scientist backed him up, that because they had exceptionally strong wills, they managed to keep looking normal. But they found that although the loss of their Hearts gave them great power, they lost more than they would have liked."

"Gained great power? Is that why you can read minds?"

"Yes. Each of us had power over a distinct element. My element was Mind. Not only can I read minds, but I can rearrange memories, create things with mere thought, and have a degree of mind control."

"So that's how come we had the closet full of clothes that we liked." She exclaimed "Now it makes sense!"

"Of course." Rutonfex said with a nod "That is my power. The others had similar powers. Powers such as control of the wind, control of fire, mastery of space, mastery of illusion, the list goes on. But despite these gifts, they found that it wasn't good enough. As the heart is thought to be the center of emotions, they believed that they had completely lost their emotions when they lost their hearts."

"But, if you have no emotions…" Nora said taken slightly aback "Then last night…"

"Calm down." He said holding a hand up "I didn't say it was true. Yes, we may have lost the ability to feel strong emotion, but we still can feel it. It's more along the lines of numbness. If you concentrate hard enough, you can still feel things. They jumped the gun a bit and thought that they had no more emotions and in an effort to try and be normal, they deluded themselves into thinking that they should merely pretend to have emotions. To draw on the memory of emotions. Of course, they didn't realize that by doing that, they were just concentrating enough to actually feel something. But, they were already in a state of delusion, so they thought that they were just remembering the emotion, not actually feeling it."

"Another consequence they thought they found," he continued "Was that they thought they no longer existed."

"No longer existed?" inquired Nora "But, wait, if they were walking around and doing all that…"

"Their theory was that because the world is divided into light and dark and they have no Hearts to filter it out, then they must not exist. They bought so much into this dogma, that they completely ignored the true basic principle of existence 'Cognito Ergo Sum'. 'I think, therefore I am'. When I joined their group I tried to tell them this, but they didn't listen. Because of their incorrect dogma, they thought that they were flawed in some way. So, they set about completing an impossible task: becoming whole again."

"How would they do that?"

"As I said, it was impossible. The surest way was to find their respective Heartless and rejoin with it. But, there are a lot of Heartless spread across nearly all the worlds, so finding them were out of the question. Instead, they turned to legend to complete their task."

Looking right her, Rutonfex asked "Tell me, what do you know of Kingdom Hearts?"

"Kingdom Hearts?" Nora said, looking confused "Nothing. What is it?"

"The combined Heart of all worlds. Every heart of every living being makes it up. The Organization Nobodies heard the legend and went searching for it. For decades, it had been considered a mere legend and that it had no factual basis. But, upon wandering into the Realm of Darkness, they found it. But to them, all it was was a Heart-shaped moon. Its light didn't automatically give them back their Hearts and return them to the existence they once knew. Instead, it shone down on them like a normal moon. So, one of them came up with the idea of using unlocked Hearts to power it up and then siphon its power over to them, which would in then make them whole. It then became a painfully slow process. They knew how to unlock a Heart, but it took an agonizingly long time, as the only thing that can quickly unlock a Heart is a Keyblade. If you paid attention to the news recently, you'd know about what that is."

Nora nodded and Rutonfex continued onward with his story.

"At the time I joined, there were only eight members. Initially, there were only six, Ienzo and his fellow apprentices from back in Radiant Garden. It seems along the way, they found two more. But the work was still slow. I joined as Number IX and went right to work. But while I was doing so, I realized that their dogma was flawed. As Descartes did before me, I started from 'Cognito Ergo Sum' and went from there. Before long, I saw their plan as moronic and pointless. We had been given the power of Gods, what with our elements and all. They didn't see it that way. All they saw was their flawed system of beliefs. I then figured the only way to make them see the light was to sabotage their plans. At the rate we were going, we never were going to complete the task, so what did my sabotage matter?"

"It mattered a lot to them. When they found out, I was placed on trial. Ienzo was my defense, even though he was playing Devil Advocate. I was found guilty and sentenced to their most severe punishment: banishment to the Realm of Nothingness. With self-preservation as my only option, I quickly spread my consciousness to the eight remaining members. Thinking that my mind had gone in, my body was taken by the group's scientist, a pretentious little fuck formally known as Even, then called Vexen. He held on to my body in an attempt to learn more about our physiology, as it was for all intents and purposes dead."

"But I lived on in their sub-conscious. They, on the other hand, continued on without me, even acting like I never had existed and recruiting a new Number IX. That was what bothered me the most. So a little over a year ago, I attempted to get back at them. Unfortunately, things didn't go according to plan and they stopped me. They made me swear to not deal with them again, so I erased myself from their memories. All except for one. I kept a toehold in Ienzo's mind, thinking that I'd get another chance. But I didn't."

"Nine months ago, he was killed because of one of his botched plans. Before he died, I left and returned to my body. With my plan in ruins, I realized that my vengeance wasn't worth it. I washed my hands of the Organization and left to travel the stars. Because of a desire to remain incognito, I've hidden what I really am. Aside from you, the only other person who knows is Ian."

Nora's eyes opened wide.

"Ian knows?"

"Of course." Continued Rutonfex "I had met him on a resort world a few months back. I quickly became his closest confidant and we became friends. A while back, in a fit of rage and depression, he ended up killing the love of his life, as well as her fiancé. Because he was such a close friend, I ended up rescuing him from the prison. That was when I told him what I really am. I then gave him a choice: he could stick with me or go off on his own. He chose to stick with me and has been an extreme help over the past few months."

"What about what's-her-face, that girl he's always with? The one that does nothing but stare?" Nora asked.

"That was how I was able to get him to come with me." Said Rutonfex, shifting his position on the floor "You see, she is actually a copy of the girl that he murdered."

Nora's eyes widened in shock at that statement.

"What do you mean a copy?"

"A duplicate, a doppelganger. Call it what you will, but the basic fact remains is that that is not the real Eva. Using a tremendous amount of strain, I was able to create the duplicate. It's imperfect, as I never met the girl, so I only had the image. I think deep down Ian knows that it's not the real one, but he was so in love with her, that he accepted it without a second thought."

"Wait," she asked incredulously "You created that?"

"Remember, I said one of my powers was the ability to create things with a mere thought. Since it works on inanimate objects, theoretically it must work for living things. She's proof that it does, but it takes a huge toll on me. She's the only one I ever created."

Turning over and laying on his back, Rutonfex continued speaking "So, what do you think?"

"What do I think?" Said Nora eyeing him up and down "I think that Heart or not, you're still an amazing man."

A smile crept across the Artisan's face.

"What happened to the girl who last night was willing to stab me if I so much as looked at her the wrong way?"

"Consider her world rocked." She said, cuddling next to him. He placed his arm around her.

"What's it like?" she asked, turning her head to face his.

"What's what like?"

"Not having a heart."

"Oh." He said stroking her hair "It's really not much different than having one. Sure, it took a while to get used to not hearing it beating, but now I find anything else odd."

"Huh." She said as she placed her ear on his chest. Instead of the familiar thumping, there was different noise. Like the sound one hears when they put their ear next to the inside of a sea shell, that was the sound that Nora heard in his chest.

"It's peaceful." She said.

"I know." And he lifted her head off his chest and gave her a kiss as the snow fell softly to the ground outside.

TO BE CONTINUED…

A/N: Page count in Word: 36

Number of words in story: 15,449

Sweet Jesus this was an epic undertaking. This was the chapter I had wanted to write for a long time and I'm glad that I'm done with it. Especially considering its length. Now you know why it's been a week since I updated. Except for Tuesday, I've worked on it practically everyday during the past week. So, writers block was not an issue.

This chapter introduces two of my favorite OCs. In terms of story importance, they rank at numbers three and four. Expect big things from Lora and Nora in the future.

Some notes. The fact that he refers to his home as the Hotel California will be important later on. I kinda give a hint in this chapter, but you'll only get it if you're familiar with the song. It's by the Eagles and if you listen to the lyrics, it'll give you a clue as to what I'm planning for Act II of this story. If you don't get it right away, that's fine. You can just wait and read the chapters when they come out.

Rutonfex's constant smoking of cigars is because that's a habit of mine. I don't smoke any where near the amount he does, but I enjoy one every so often. Plus, it gave him things to do as he talked, so that helped from a storytelling point of view.

The song that Nora and Rutonfex drunkenly sing in _Somebody to Love_ by Queen. Great song. Try and listen to it while reading that part.

As for the reason for all the snow, it comes from where I live. From November to March, my far Northern kingdom is covered in white. It's great for inspiration and sparking the imagination, but unless you've lived through a number of winters, it's hard to describe exactly how it does it. It just does. Plus, it felt right for this chapter.

And I gave you a bit of Rutonfex's beliefs and theories about Nobodies, as well as his history according to him. Just remember that it's coming from a rather unreliable source.

And an apology to cursedchaos13 for the review I sent her on her story _The Seven Deadly Sins_. I was just taken aback at the similarities and it got to me a little. I'm sorry for that. But, I returned the favor by cribbing a bit off you with the drinking scene. Slightly. If you want to get mad at me for that, go right ahead. Few barbs can pierce the stone heart of the Magnificent Tim Fortune.

Well, please enjoy. I want to hear the reviews I get for this one.

The Magnificent Tim Fortune 9/27/08 1:19 AM


	12. There's a Starman Waiting in the Sky

Tim Fortune

**Tim Fortune**

**Presents**

**COGNITO**

**Interlude Part 4: There's a Starman Waiting in the Sky…**

_**3 Months Later…**_

Nora rolled over in the massive bed. Reaching her arm over to the side, she expected for it to touch her lover who was usually next to her. But, all she found was air.

Sitting up in bed, she looked around the room. The pure black walls added depth to the room, while the glass on the hanging artwork shone from the moonlight that was coming in from the window. He wasn't anywhere to be found.

It wasn't that unusual for him to not be there. He did, after all, wake up earlier than his bedmate and wasn't one to wait around the room until she woke up. Nora knew this, but it still was a bit jarring to wake up some days and find him not there.

For the past three months, life had been absolutely perfect for the denizens of the Hotel California. Despite her initial misgivings, Nora had completely come around. No longer did she see her current state as something to be hated. In fact, she had spent the past three months living like a princess. Just one of the benefits of being the lover of a man who has near god-like powers.

But that was a secret kept between them. Ian was probably aware of the fact, but like the good friend and servant he was, said nothing. Nora didn't know why Rutonfex had wanted to keep their affair a secret. She suspected that it had to do with her sister.

As she was aware of the signs, Nora knew that Lora had somewhat fallen for the man. The Nora from three months ago would have smack her naïve sister for such thoughts, but that was before she actually got to know the man. Now, she wasn't surprised. After all, the only thing he really lacked was a heart, and if he was still walking around, what was its worth anyway?

Late at night, however, she would wonder as she stared at his sleeping body if he was using his mental skills to make her love him. He could do it if he had so chosen so, how could she know that he hadn't? What had gone through her head that night three months ago?

Of course, the answer was very little. She had just consumed an entire 2 liter bottle of vodka, as well as several smaller bottle of liquor and clearly wasn't in her right mind at the time. But what of before that? From what she could recall, they had a tense stare down. She thought that she had bowled him over, but then he began giving her little compliments in a failed (did it?) attempt to flirt with her. Then the booze flowed and Queen blared and the next thing she knew, they were lying on the ground going at it like creatures in heat. Then he revealed his true status to her. Something about his honesty may have let her lower the defenses she had set up after two years of victim hood. Or maybe, _**he**_ had lowered them. It was a thought that would keep her up at night. She always came to the conclusion that her feelings for him were real, but that voice was always nagging at the back of her head.

People do change after all.  
Stepping out of bed, Nora grabbed the bathrobe that was lying nearby. She shivered a bit as she left the bed, as no matter how high the heat in the house was, there always was cold air somehow seeping through. She had asked Rutonfex about that and he replied that he hates being hot. While he'd rather not be frozen, he believed that heat was worse. Besides, it made the baths the duo shared from time to time all the more enchanting.

She carefully exited the room, as to not make Lora suspicious. She was unaware that her sister spent nearly every single night with Rutonfex. True, one had to be blind to miss something like that, but she overlooked it all the same. Maybe deep down, she did know that it was her sister that had (pardon the expression) stolen his Heart (of which she believed he still had. He had never gotten around to telling Lora of his status as a Nobody), but on the surface, it appeared as if she still had a chance. Nora had thought that her sister was naïve before, but this went way beyond it.

She made her way downstairs and went into the kitchen. If he was anywhere, this would be a good place to look. It was almost lunchtime. But he wasn't there either. It was now becoming a bit odd.

She walked out of the kitchen and ran into Ian, who was coming in through the front door. He had just returned from shoveling the driveway, which in a world where it constantly snowed was an uphill battle. But he did nevertheless. It made it easier for the limo, which was used whenever the whole group went out. If Rutonfex was going to go anywhere alone, he'd just teleport there. He had no reason to use the car. That was for the benefit of his human companions.

"Ian," she said as he scraped the snow off his boots and hung his coat on a nearby hook "Have you seen Rutonfex?"

"Not since earlier." He replied, shaking his head and letting additional snow come off "He came into the kitchen, got a cup of coffee and the newspaper and went into the study. That's the last I saw of him."

He walked off and went upstairs. A light suddenly went on in Nora's head.

"The study!" she exclaimed slapping her forehead "Of course!"

It was the first place she should have looked. If he wasn't in bed, eating, or traveling, most likely, he was just sitting in his study, smoking a cigar and reading one of his many, many books.

Nora went inside the dull red room. He wasn't there either. It was becoming a bit strange. Did he just up and leave? No. He would've told them if he was going someplace. It wasn't like him to just disappear.

But, Rutonfex was no where to be found. The only clue that he had been in there was his half-full coffee mug (of which the coffee had gone cold ages ago) and a newspaper just lying on the chair.

Nora picked up the newspaper and looked right at the front page. A picture took up most of it. All it showed was six hooded figures wearing identical black cloaks while standing on a ledge of sorts with an old dilapidated castle behind them. The headline only said "Six Figures Appear Mysteriously at Hollow Bastion", before going onto the main story.

Taking a better look at the picture, she knew that she had seen those cloaks somewhere before. But where? Then it hit her. Hanging towards the back of his closet, Rutonfex had an identical one. But what was the connection?

Sitting down, she began to read the article attached to the picture.

_After about a year of relative peace and security, the world of Hollow Bastion is once again threatened by an outside source. No, the Heartless aren't returning, even though large numbers of them have gathered in a valley adjacent to the old abandoned castle. This time, it seems to be something that is referred to as a "Nobody"._

Nora's eyebrow shot up at that sentence. That was what Rutonfex described himself as. This was getting a little weird. She read further.

_Now what exactly is a Nobody? According to our sources, a Nobody is what is left behind after a Heartless is created. Unlike Heartless however, Nobodies still maintain the ability to think and plan, instead of rushing forward on instinct.  
Could it be the beginning of an invasion? It's not completely sure. At first, only silvery, vaguely humanoid ones appeared. The Hollow Bastion Restoration Committee took care of a few, but most were stopped by the same boy who took care of our Heartless problem one year ago._

_After dispatching these "Dusks", as they are apparently called, the group went over to the ledge, where all of a sudden, a black cloaked figure appeared. Shortly after, five more identically dressed figures joined him. They had the hoods of their cloaks up and they hid the entirety of their faces, so it's unknown as to their identity. But our hero seemed to recognize them and in fact gave a name: "Organization XIII"._

"Organization XIII." Murmured Nora, as she put the paper down. Rutonfex had mentioned that he had been part of an "Organization". Could this be the same one he had been talking about? It was possible. After all, how many "Organizations" made up of Nobodies wearing identical black robes existed? She continued to read.

_They didn't seem to do anything. All they did was stand there and taunt our heroes until they disappeared. But not all at once. On the ground level, one appeared and had a strange talk with last year's savior. Apparently, all that was exchanged was "weird things intended to psyche them out", nothing more. Soon there after, our hero left again to travel the worlds and save them once again. Good luck to him._

_But what of these Nobodies? Could they be an actual threat? Could this "Organization" prove to be a nastier foe than the Heartless Ansem last year? What do they have in store for us? Who knows? Until then, keep safe. These beings don't appear to be trustworthy._

Nora put the paper down. What did it mean? Did Rutonfex have a connection to these people? Is it why he disappeared suddenly? There were too many questions. But one stood out above the rest.

Has he left for good?

**XIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIII**

Through the bright swirling colors of Betwixt and Between, Rutonfex walked, alone in thought. He hadn't expected what he saw when he opened the newspaper that morning. They have finally revealed themselves to the public.

He scowled at the thought. When he had tried that long ago in the Orchestral Hall, they charged with the crime of betraying secrecy (among other things) and attempted to do away with him. Now here it was, two years later (Good lord, was it really?) they were doing it themselves.

He was a little surprised at the number that was there. Only six? Last time he checked there were eight. He knew who was who just from their relative sizes to one and other and was surprised to find that Ela was not among them. He thought that something like this was right up the little pyro's alley. And where was the kid? Rutonfex didn't know much about him. He had been the last to join and was only there for one day before Zexion had been shipped off to Castle Oblivion. And all that he knew from the post-vengeance world was what the Schemer himself knew. Of course, a week later the Schemer was dead and Rutonfex returned to his body to begin his travel about the stars.

But right in black and white, there they stood. Finally revealing themselves for all the worlds to see. But why? Did they finally realize that he was right? That they should use their powers to conquer the inferior races? Even though he wanted to believe that, he knew that it was impossible. He had wiped himself clean from their memories, so how could they agree with a man who technically didn't even exist?

Maybe, they were finally close to achieving their idiotic goal. What was special about the kid again? Oh yeah, he was a Keyblader. That made the job of unlocking hearts for use in the overall scheme quicker. So, if they were finally close to being whole again, why not reveal themselves to the crowd? Let them know that there was another race out there that was an even bigger threat to them than those pitiful Heartless.

As soon as he saw the paper, he left. Right in the study, he opened up a path to darkness and left the Hotel. No goodbyes, no saying where he was going. He just up and left. If he made it back, he'd explain everything to them, but now, he had things that he must do.

If they were going to be running about in the open, the Artisan was going to need a source to track them. Luckily, he had an old friend who was more than capable of doing so.

Walking through the other portal, he stepped into the dankness of an underground cavern. The stale underground air flowed through his lungs, but he didn't find. He was back in one of the few places he had ever regarded as home.

Kicking a stone into the ghastly green water, he waited on the banks for the boatman to approach. Eventually, the skeletal pilot of the boat appeared before him.

"One coin to cross." He said in a ghostly wail. Rutonfex flipped him a coin, which he caught in his boney palm, and climbed a board.

"Full speed ahead Charon." He said taking a seat.

The ride was uneventful. During his time down there he had gotten used to the cacophony of shrieks and wails that existed down there, so all he did on the boat ride was sit back and relax. He almost wished he had a cigar. But, he put those thoughts away. When he met who he was supposed to he could have a smoke.

When the boat reached the other bank, he stepped out. Holding his arms out to the side, the Artisan wondered where he was. Usually he greeted those who entered his realm with some grand speech about their hopelessness and all that.

Now, dear reader, where exactly was our beloved Artisan? Why, the Underworld of course. He was waiting to meet his old friend Hades.

When Gummi ship travel became available, he hopped on one of the first to come to Radiant Garden. He didn't care where it was going. All it was was a way off. He'd spent too much time on the Old Man's world anyway and the time was right to move on. But he didn't consider that with all new technology there were still some bugs to work out.

Moving away from the center of the galaxy where Radiant Garden resided, it began to move towards the outer arm of the inner worlds. That's when the problems started. The crew quickly lost control of the ship and it crash landed on the nearest world, the world of Olympus Coliseum. At some point he had passed out. When he awoke, standing right in front of him was the Lord of the Dead himself. Oh no, he wasn't dead. But he was trapped down there. Somehow, and to this day he's still not sure how, he managed to get a job as a sculptor down there. It was pretty much the thing he was best at. It's what he did back in Radiant Garden and he hadn't exactly starved there.

Rutonfex just waited on the banks of the River Styx. He impatiently tapped his foot. Sure, Hades had no clue that he was coming, but he still didn't want to be kept waiting.

In the distance, he heard growling. It was incredibly faint, so he ignored it as he waited. But slowly it grew closer and closer. When a large drop of salvia fell next to him, he looked up to see Cerberus standing over him.

The hell hound growled and all three heads snarled as he leaned down to look at the pitiful mortal standing beneath him.

"Nice doggy," Rutonfex said as he back away "Nice doggy. You don't remember me? You don't remember the walks through the Elysium Fields? Those were good times!"

But the dog continued to growl and they soon turned to barks. Rutonfex closed his eyes and waited for his inevitable doom, when suddenly a large tongue about the size of his entire body licked him.

Opening one eye, he saw Cerberus, no longer growling, but with all three heads panting.

"Thatta boy." He smiled as he petted the large paw of the beast "I knew you'd remember me! Now, run and tell your master that an old friend's here to see him."

The hell hound complied and the ground shook as he ran off. Rutonfex then took a sit on the putrid ground and waited. To stave off boredom, he threw rocks into the Styx and was amused whenever it hit a soul that was floating around. Soon, that grew tiresome, so he stood up and continued to wait.

He didn't know how long he waited there, but soon he heard a familiar voice ranting and raving about something.

"Unbelievable, simply unbelievable. Didn't that kid get enough punishment the last time? Now he's back here, making demands! Here! Of all the places, why…"

Rutonfex ducked quickly as a fireball came flying his direction.

"Jesus!" he shouted as he hit the dirt.

"What?" the Lord of the Dead exclaimed as he appeared before the Artisan. It was cleared that he was pissed. His mane of fire, normally a pale blue when calm, was now an incredibly bright red and the flames engulfed his entire body. "Who's here?"

"Just me!" said Rutonfex lifting his head up from the dirt "How ya doing?"

"Fortune?!" exclaimed Hades, his hair returning to its normal blue "What are you doing here? You dead yet?"

"Not yet." He replied as he stood up and wiped the dirt off him "Still breathing at least."

"Ah, whatever." Hades said as he went up to him "But good to see you! How long has it been?"

"A little over two years."

"Ah, two years." Hades said his voice full of nostalgia "Things just haven't been the same since you've been gone. You probably could have talked me out of that Kingdom Hearts pipedream."

"Oh you were involved in that?"

"Unfortunately. But, I got out of it quickly and remained relatively unscathed, unlike the other poor suckers with me."

"Yeah, you were right to bail out early." Rutonfex replied "Forget what you've heard about the power of Kingdom Hearts. It's nothing but a Heart shaped moon. Trust me, I've seen it."

Hades raised one fiery eyebrow.

"What have you been up to these past few years?"

"This and that. This and that." Said Rutonfex "But, enough standing around here. Let's head up to your throne room. I need a smoke."

"My friend, I can comply."

The two of them walked off into the distance, sharing old stories and jokes. Just like old times.

**XIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIII**

"Pour me another." Rutonfex said as he put his goblet down on the table. A little fire imp came scuttling forward with a wine bottle and poured the dark liquid into the cup. As quick as it appeared, it scurried back into the corner.

Rutonfex took a puff of his cigar and leaned back in his chair.

"You know, I'd forgotten how good this place is."

"Of course it's a great place." Hades responded, waving his own cigar in the air "If you happen to know the Lord of the Dead that is."

They both laughed. It did feel good to be back in the Underworld. It wasn't a place he'd want to be as a forced resident, but as long as he was able to come and go as he pleased, while still alive, everything was fine.

During his first stay down there, he had made a pact with Hades. Upon his death, he would be sent to the Underworld. It didn't matter where he died or what his own personal beliefs were. Upon death, his soul would be sent straight to Hades' domain. It was the perfect deal. No matter what he did in life, he was guaranteed a good spot in the afterlife. It was fool-proof. After all, Hades was a good friend. He wouldn't allow a friend to fry now, would he?

"So what brings you here?" Hades asked, dropping ash into his skull shaped ashtray.

"Have you seen the news today?"

"Please, I'm the Lord of the Dead. All the news I get is what the souls bring down."

"Alright," replied Rutonfex sipping his wine "Well, it turns out that some old…"

But he didn't get a chance to finish as a dark portal appeared in the throneroom. From the darkness, a cloaked figure stepped out. He was of a median height, but more on the shorter side of it, with a slim build. His robes were black and all too familiar to Rutonfex.

He smiled as he saw the figure, but didn't say anything.

"Lord Hades," the figure said with a bow "I come as an emissary from the Organization. We…what was the rest? Hold on a second."

He reached into his coat and fumbled around a bit, eventually pulling a piece of paper out.

"If subject fails to respond," he read "Use aggression…oops! Wrong card."

He put the erroneous card back into his coat and searched through it again. Hades just rolled his eyes.

"Kid," he said, stubbing his cigar out "Is there a point to this?"

"A point?" said the figure, removing his hands from the inside of his coat "Well, yeah. The point is, I have been sent by my superiors to see if we can come to some sort of agreement. You see, we have plans that need to be completed, and with your help, they can move forward quicker."

"Uh-huh." Hades said rubbing his chin "And what's in it for me?"

"What's in it for you?" he replied, a little nervously "Well, my superiors hoped that you would agree to an arrangement before we discussed benefits."

"Sounds like Xehnie alright." Rutonfex said under his breath. Dropping ash into his ashtray, he put the cigar in his mouth and walked up to the figure.

"Well, it looks like my goals came to me." He said standing in front of the figure and grabbing his hood "Isn't that right Myde?"

He pulled the hood off and there was Demyx standing before them.

"Do I know you?" he asked turning his head from side to side to look at the Artisan.

"Oh, about two years ago, we had a grand old time." Smiled Rutonfex.

"Yeah, I think I'd remember something like that."

"Oh, you want to remember?" Rutonfex snapped his fingers and a sudden look of realization and horror crossed the Nocturne's face.

"Holy shit! What…how?" stammered Demyx.

"I have my ways," responded Rutonfex taking a puff of his cigar and letting the smoke fly into Demyx's face "I have my ways."

"I thought I dreamed that! It actually happened?"

"Oh yes. But you only interacted with my mental self. The real deal's standing right in front of you."

"Oh God!" Demyx's eyes went wide. He recalled all too well what Rutonfex had attempted to do two years back.

"No deal Hades! No deal!" he threw his hood back on "I'll take whatever Xemnas dishes out, just get me away from this maniac!"

He threw open the doors of the throne room and ran out screaming "Run away!"

Rutonfex's smile grew larger as he headed back to his seat. Sure, what he actually did to the Nocturne wasn't all that bad. But, when one can influence memories, particularly memories of a failed plot, wouldn't they try to make it seem like they did something far worse?

"What was that all about?" asked Hades as Rutonfex sat down.

"Just someone I knew from a while back." He stubbed his cigar out. Standing up, he walked towards the door.

"Well, I must be off. Got things to do."

"Wait, what were you going to say before?"

"It's unimportant now. In fact, all's well since he showed up. Thanks for the drink and smoke Hades. I'll be sure to pop by soon."

He stepped outside door, opened a path to darkness and was on his way. Since Demyx had shown up, Rutonfex now had a window into his mind and into the plans of the Organization. It seems that since the defection of their Keyblader member, they were back to where they had been in terms of Heart collection about a year before. So, Xehnie's new plan consisted of tricking the Big Hero from last year into destroying Heartless after Heartless so their hearts would go up to that big moon. And from what he could gather, they were close to succeeding. Rutonfex couldn't help but laugh. So, maybe they were right after all! Despite his thoughts, he just found that funny.

Now, he really needed to keep an eye on them. Thankfully, Myde gave him a good insight as to where they would be heading next.

**XIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIII**

Xigbar and Saïx sat in the lounge of the Castle That Never Was just waiting. They were the only two left in the Castle. Xemnas had gone off to some unknown location. Perhaps to review the Heartless that would be used for the beginning of Endgame. Xaldin was off tormenting the Beast, as he liked to do. If they could get his Heartless and Nobody…well, that would be something now would it? Luxord was out on a reconnaissance mission to the outer-inner worlds to find one where he could operate on peak efficiency. That left only the Freeshooter and the Diviner left in the Castle. It wouldn't be for long. Demyx was due back from his mission to the Underworld any second now.

And he arrived in a portal. He held on to his sitar and was panting all while dripping sweat.

"Number IX," Saïx said going up to him "What's to report?"

"Kid's (pant) on the right track."

"Sounds like you got into a vicious fight with him." Xigbar responded from the couch.

"Oh yeah," Demyx said walking over to the fridge to get a drink "Threw a couple of water forms at him. Kid easily took care of them."

"That's it?" replied Saïx, annoyance in his voice "You just threw water forms at him? Then why the hell are you out of breath?"

"Because, (pant) when dealing with Hades…"

"Oh, how'd that go?" asked Xigbar.

"Didn't work, because _he _was there."

Xigbar and Saïx looked at each other.

"Who was there? Hades? You were expecting anything different?" Xigbar asked going up to the Nocturne "I mean, I thought you were dumb, but…"

"No! I mean Rutonfex!"

"Who?" Saïx asked, slightly confused "That supposed to mean something?"

"Don't tell me you don't remember!" Demyx exclaimed "Remember about two years ago, he went into our minds and tried to fuck around with us as part of some twisted revenge fantasy? Because you kicked him out and then replaced him? Then Xemnas ended up beating him and he went away? Remember?"

"I have no idea what the fuck you're talking about!" Saïx shouted "What the hell did you breathe down there in the Underworld? Rutonfex? That has got to be the stupidest name I've ever heard! And kicked someone out? The only one who's going to be kicked out is Axel! There has never been a member of this Organization named Rutonfex!"

"But didn't you have an incredibly weird dream about two years back?"

"Like I'm going to remember every single dream I've ever had. Now c'mon. We've got to get to Hollow Bastion. Move it!"

Saïx opened a door to darkness and practically picked Demyx up and threw him in. Before stepping into it himself, he turned to Xigbar and said "And you've got to get working on your assignment. Find some out of the way world to continue fucking around with the kid."

He stepped through the portal and Xigbar was left alone in the lounge.

He smiled as he went over to the fridge and took a drink out for himself. Opening it up, he took a long sip.

"What the hell was Dem ranting about? Rutonfex? Wow, that's a terrible name."

He went over to the table and unfolded a map of all the nearby worlds. Holding a hand over his remaining eye, he dangled his finger over and placed it on a random spot. Removing his hand, he looked at where his finger had landed.

"Land of Dragons, huh?" he mused as he scratched his chin "That should be interesting."

Throwing his hood on, he opened his own portal to darkness and stepped through.

**XIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIII**

On a far tower, Rutonfex balance precariously on one of the turrets as he looked down at the carnage that was unfolding beneath him. It was no easy task, as the wind that kept blowing towards him kept nearly knocking him off

"Easy there Dilan," he smiled as he saw his former comrade face an onslaught from the Kid and his companions, including the Lord of this world "I'm trying to watch!"

This was an interesting diversion from what the other members were up to. He felt an odd sense of nostalgia at Hollow Bastion (as Radiant Garden was now called apparently) when he saw Ela, Ïas, and finally Xehnie himself. A shame about what happened to Myde, but those were the brakes now weren't they?

Rutonfex had witnessed the entire fight. Saw what you will about the guy, he was actually a pretty powerful force to be reckoned with on the battlefield. Those water forms that he used oh so often were good at keeping his opponent busy. And the time limit he gave in order to defeat them? Priceless! It seriously was too bad that he had to be the first to go this time around. Rutonfex was sure that the Gambler would die long before the Nocturne. After all, what kind of weapons were cards and dice? At least with a sitar you can actually beat your enemy to a pulp, but cards and dice? Come on. You can do better than that.

Dilan was putting up a great front. Hell, the Artisan even saw the Mouse King suddenly appear a few times to help take him out. That was almost to be expected. Dilan was after all one of the best offensive fighters the Organization had to offer. Hell, he was one of the best fighters period. With his wind powers and lances, he could easily strike at a distance, which he did a few times, as well as get right up close with the enemy.

But no matter how good he was, Rutonfex witnessed the second death this time around. The kid got one final lucky shot and Dilan's energies joined the wind he loved to control.

While this little mission had almost nothing to do with the main goal, it was still interesting to watch. Sure, Rutonfex found a morbid sense of pleasure in seeing his destruction, but it felt justified. He had led the investigation behind his mental attacks two years prior.

The kid was saying his goodbyes to the people of this world. Rutonfex felt he must be off to. Since he stood at a distance at Hollow Bastion, he allowed Ïas to get a good look at him. He needed it. With Myde gone, he had to find another link into the Organizations full plans and what better person than Ïas?

According to the agenda, the next stop was Port Royal, where Luxord currently was. Before opening a path to darkness, Rutonfex looked out into the sky.

"Farewell Dilan!" he said, almost mockingly "May you find peace wherever you go! And give my regards to Myde, Arlene, Even, Lumaria, Aeleus, and…" he said this a little more reverently "Ienzo."

And he opened a portal and stepped into it.

**XIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIII**

Amidst the swirling colors of Betwixt and Between, Rutonfex walked. He had kept a close watch on the movements of his former comrades and found most of what they were doing rather dull. Stealing cursed medallions? Corrupting a mountain guardian? This was what they've been up to?

Sure, he thought that Braig could come up with something better than his stunt in the Land of Dragons, but it was Braig. Who knew what the hell was going on in that guys mind all the time?

As for Luxord, you think that a gambler of sorts would have a little more imagination. Sure, he could see why Lora liked the place he went so well. Hell, Rutonfex thought maybe when this was over he'd take them all over there for a little vacation. Sure, it lacked modern technology, but there was an odd charm about it. Plus, pirate rum and Cuban cigars. Always a positive sign.

But as for the Gambler's actions down there, was it crime to show a little more thought? At least Myde and Dilan had gotten into fights. Braig and Luxord just showed up and left shortly afterwards. Boring.

At least Ïas got some good lines in. His "if I had a heart" line was priceless. The Artisan still found that funny.

And so, he walked. Apparently, the kid was going right to the Castle itself, no doubt to face down Luxord, Braig, Ïas, and Xehnie. Now that, he'd have to see.

Up ahead in the distance, a large crowd of Dusks had gathered. Since it was far up ahead, Rutonfex could exactly see what was going on. He moved a little closer, but was knocked backwards on his feet by a huge explosion. Getting up, he looked around and saw more Dusks regrouping in the distance. But one other thing caught his eye. With a smile, he moved closer.

**XIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIII**

Nora paced nervously around the study of the Hotel California while Ian and Lora just sat calmly in the chairs. It had been a bit of a tense day. Nora was worried about what was going on with Rutonfex. Why did he just up and leave? What was the reason?

Lora had her worries too, but he didn't let them out like her sister did. She calmly sat in her chair just looking at the fire that was roaring in the fireplace. When she heard that he had disappeared, outwardly, she showed practically nothing, but inside, she was incredibly scared. If he was gone forever, what was to become of them? From what she could gather, Rutonfex was the one who kept the whole place together. Sure, Ian did most of the work, but it seemed like everything moved according to his whim. Even the snow. When he was happy, the flakes danced in spectacular rhythm. When he was angry, terrible blizzards flew upon the Hotel. She had noticed that since he'd been gone, not a single flake fell. That was something in and of itself.

Ian, who knew more about his friend than the two girls, had more practical reasons to be worried about his master's disappearance. If he was gone, then they were trapped on that world. With his teleportation powers, he had been able to move them to and from the world whenever they wished. Without it, well, they were screwed. They only had enough food to last them maybe another month or so, but after that…he shuddered at the thought.

And so, they waited. They didn't know how long it was, but they waited. Eventually, they heard a thumping noise above them.

"What the hell?" Ian exclaimed standing up "What's up there?"

He led the girls out of the study and after knocking a panel off the wall, removed a sawed off shotgun and slowly moved up the stairs.

Scanning the second level, he found nothing. Motioning to the girls, they continued up to the third floor. That's when they noticed the trapdoor to the tower was open.

Ian cautiously climbed the ladder and poked his head into the tower. Despite living there for almost a year, he had never been to this part of the Hotel. It was just so, unsettling. And actually looking around in the tower added to that unsettling feeling. There wasn't much up there. Just a few beds, one of which was occupied and had a man standing in front of it. His back was turned to Ian, so he had no clue who it was, while the man in the bed had a sheet covering him, save for an arm which had an intravenous needle sticking out of it. Stealthily, moving forward, he went towards the stranger.

"That's enough Ian." He said in a familiar voice.

"Where the hell were you?" Ian exclaimed putting the shotgun down "You've had Nora freaking out down there!"

"I had some business to attend to." Rutonfex said calmly "Now, would you kindly help me out?"

"Help you out with what?"

"This." he motioned to the man in the bed "If this works, we might have a new member in our group."

**XIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIII**

Lora and Nora stood at the bottom of the ladder. They couldn't really hear what was going on up there, but Ian hadn't come back down yet. Nora was just about to go up and check for herself, when Rutonfex came down.

After taking a moment to decide whether or not she should kiss him or slap him, she chose the latter.

"Well, that's a fine hello." He replied rubbing his cheek.

"Where the fuck did you run off to?" Nora said angrily "You got all of us worried!"

"My dear, all will be explained shortly. But for now, I have business to attend to. Ian! Bring him down!"

Ian descended the ladder carrying the still bed sheet covered man down.

"Who's that?" Lora and Nora said simultaneously.

"That's our new associate," Rutonfex began "His name is…"

He paused in deep thought and then smiled and said "Azreal."

"What's he doing here?" Nora inquired.

"Well, right now, he's healing." Replied the Artisan "I found him near death on my sojourn and believing he'd make a good asset, I brought him back here to fix up."

Nodding over to Ian, his friend walked into one of the empty bedrooms. Turning back to the girls, he continued speaking.

"My dears, while on my little vacation, I managed to get some thinking done. And I decided that the time had come to come clean. You may learn some shocking truths about me and I couldn't blame you if it disturbs you in the slightest."

Nora already knew what he was going to tell them. This was more for her sister's benefit. She would get the full story, as well as believe that Nora was also hearing this for the first time.

So, he told his story, with Lora interjecting in the usual places, but mostly standing still and listening to it. It was all the same stuff that he had already told Nora about three months back after that wonderful night of passion. But at the end, he said something that neither of them had heard. He had even called Ian out to hear it. If Ian hadn't heard about it, then it must be something deeply hidden.

"As you have been wondering where I've been, I've been tracking the movements of some former associates of mine in the Organization. You've all seen the paper, so you have some knowledge. Anyway, I have reason to believe that at right this very second, Ol' Xehnie (my former boss) is having his ass handed to him by that kid who was a big hero last year. And since Xehnie is going down now, I also believe that whoever survived long enough for the kid to infiltrate the Castle is also dead. Thus, there is now a power vacuum for control of the Nobodies. They're still out there. Someone needs to take the reins. And since I'm really the only human-like Nobody out there, the task falls to me. But I won't be alone. That man, Azreal, I have transformed him into a Nobody and he will help form a new and better group."

That was actually a little lie. Rutonfex didn't see a reason to divulge who Azreal really was. Not yet at least.

"But human-like Nobodies are the rarest of the rare. In fact, I think once Xehnie dies, I'll be the only naturally occurring one left. But, I have found a technique that can create this proud race. And so I ask you, will you join me? Will you sacrifice your hearts for great power? Will you help me bring order to the Universe?"

The three looked at each other. He was asking quite a lot. Give up their hearts? What would happen then?

"I understand your concerns. You worry that if you lose your hearts, then death or worse awaits you. Don't be afraid. It seems that I have discovered a way to take your heart, but make you exactly like me. So, the question remains, will you go through with it?"

Nora was the first to speak up. Grasping his hands, she said "Anything you ask!"

Ian spoke up next. Thumping his chest, he replied "You bet!"

Lora just looked at her feet. She was kind of afraid of what would happen. Everything was going so fast. First, the man she thought she was living with wasn't technically a man at all. Just a shell that was walking around. Then, he asks her to give up her heart and become like him. It was all too much. But, what could she lose? He didn't have a heart, but he was still an outstanding individual who took pity on two girls at the end of their rope and gave them a terrific existence.

"Let's do it." She said holding her head up.

And with a smile that crossed his entire face, the Artisan replied "Excellent."

TO BE CONTINUED…

A/N: Act Two to begin next!

Well, I introduced a new character here. Azreal. Didn't say much about him, but he becomes important in later chapters.

And did you people think I'd forgotten about the canon characters? Sure, it was pretty easy to believe so after those last two massive chapters, but I brought them back. Particularly Saïx, who hadn't spoken since Act I Scene III. Pity, I had to kill them all. But that's canon for you, eh?

This chapter's title is a line from the song _Starman_ by David Bowie. That's another great song. Plus, it sort of feels right, as Rutonfex is moving behind the scenes of KHII now.

Now, before you can read Act II, there are some required listening and watching to do. First, you must listen to the song _Hotel California_ by the Eagles. It will give you some clues as to what I have planned.

Then, you must watch _The Rocky Horror Picture Show_. I can't stress that. If you don't watch it, then some of the things I mention in Act II will go right over your heads. So, watch it. Preferably alone, as you don't want to have to explain it to someone who hasn't seen it before. But trust me, it's a great movie. One of my all time favorites. If you know someone who had seen it, then watch it with them. They can explain a few things that could potentially confuse you. And believe me, there are a lot of confusing things in that movie.

So, enjoy this chapter, listen to _Hotel California_ and watch _The Rocky Horror Picture Show_. I'll be back later with Act II Scene I. And if you can't tell, things are going to get interesting.

Buh-bye now,

The Magnificent Tim Fortune 10/6/08 12:39 AM


	13. Up Ahead in the Distance

Tim Fortune

**Tim Fortune**

**Presents**

**COGNITO**

**Act II Scene I: Up Ahead in the Distance…**

_On a dark desert highway, cool wind in my hair,  
The warm smell of colitas rising up through the air.  
Up ahead in the distance, I saw a shimmering light.  
My head grew heavy and my sight grew dim,  
I had to stop for the night.  
There she stood in the doorway, I heard the mission bell,  
And I was thinking to myself  
"This could be Heaven or this could be Hell".  
Then she lit up a candle and she showed me the way.  
__There were voices down the corridor; I thought I heard them say…_

_Welcome to the Hotel California!  
Such a lovely place, (such a lovely place),  
Such a lovely face.  
Plenty of room at the Hotel California!  
Any time of year, (any time of year), you can find it here._

_**ONE MONTH LATER…**_

He stood on the shore, the waves lapping up and down on his feet. The sun shone brightly on him, but he didn't mind. There was a slight breeze that made the palms rustle, adding to the peacefulness of the scene.

It was paradise, nothing else but. And it felt so good to be home. After a year's worth of adventure around all the Worlds, there was nothing he wanted more than to just sit idly on the beaches of the Island world he called home.

And after saving all the worlds from what could be the greatest threat they had ever seen, not once, but twice, a little R and R was well deserved wasn't it?

It had been too long since he had stepped foot on the beaches of his homeworld. Oh sure, he'd been to beaches, but none like this. There wasn't a single beach in existence that could compare to this one. So many memories, so many good times. While earlier he would have done anything to leave it, now he wanted nothing more than to stay. He'd seen the outside world. He'd faced its dangers. It was time to put away the Key and just be a normal kid again. Just like he was before that fateful day only a year before.

Back, that's all he wanted. He wanted his life back to what it was before the darkness overtook his world, fate threw a Key into his hand and he whisked off for adventure to save the worlds from a power hungry madman.

He was sure that once that was done he'd be able to head back to his island paradise, but once again, fate had other plans.

A mysterious Organization watched his every move and feuding members made a power play for him. He took them out, because after all, they were evil and dark and that was what he did right? But he was no closer on his quest to find his oldest friend. A year's worth of hibernation followed, and the worlds moved on without him. Some didn't even remember that he had ever existed. He was nothing more than a feeling. A thought that was buried deep inside the Hearts of the people he'd met.

When he awoke, destiny called once again. This time, there was more at stake. From the beginning, he had been a pawn of the schemes of the Organization. They used him to further their own twisted agenda. Sure, he had felt a little bad when he had destroyed the first one, the one with the guitar, but he was a Nobody. They didn't even exist and were even more dangerous than the Heartless. His actions were completely justifiable.

One by one, they fell. A few tried to confuse him. They called him a name that was not his own and compared him to that person. They were unsuccessful and only after the defeat of the Organization's second in command did he learn the truth. When he had sacrificed his Heart to save her Heart, becoming a Heartless in the process, another had been born. His Nobody. A Keyblader like himself. Not only that, but the thirteenth member of that dark group.

For a year, he had worked alongside them, helping them with their dark goal. True, what they wanted wasn't really that bad. All they wanted was their Hearts back. To be whole once more. But it was their methods that were wrong. Lacking emotions themselves, they could manipulate them in other people and make them dance like a puppet on a string, all without feeling an inch of remorse.

His other later defected from the group, but was captured by their former master. Kept sustained in a virtual world that gave some of what he always wanted, he was slowly reintegrated back into his former self. He still lived within him. Late at night, he would dream of his memories. But, that's all they were. Dreams, nothing more. He could recall them as dreams, but as full memories…not at all.

He and his friends, the Knight, the Mage, the King, and his two closest friends in the entirety of all the Worlds, made their way through the Nobodies' Castle. With the abominations at every turn, they took care of them quickly. Three times they went up against actual members. They were some of the hardest battles he'd ever fought. The one-eyed one sprayed bullets from every direction and never stood still. With dice and cards, the Gambler had all the luck on his side. And finally, the Number Two, who when the moon shone down, turned into a creature with nothing but destruction on its mind.

They all fell before his blade and soon there was only one left. Their master. The Nobody belonging to the all powerful Heartless he had defeated the year before. Fighting the hardest fight he'd ever been in, he and his friend managed to silence this threat once and for all. He disappeared in anguish, almost as if he couldn't believe that it was happening. But, he was gone.

Peace had come to the worlds once more. There was nothing else sinister left. Sure, the Dark Queen and her hordes of Heartless remained, but after the Organization and their armies of Nobodies, what was she? Nothing compared to that.

He and his friends returned to their island paradise, to try and pick up where they had left off a year earlier. Could they? He believed that they could. Sure, things would be different, but they had been through everything together. They could handle it.

It wasn't too long after they returned to their World when a letter from the King arrived. He didn't reveal what was going on in the letter, but told him to go to his Castle and they would discuss it.

Right now, he stood on the shore and let the waves crash around his feet as he soaked in the sun.

_Sora…_

He turned his head. He thought he had heard his name, but maybe it was just the wind.

_Sora…_

There it was again! Ignoring it, he turned and faced the clear blue water.

"Sora…"

Okay, this time, he clearly heard it. It was faint, so he couldn't quite make out the voice that had said it. Luckily, he heard it again, louder this time.

"Sora!"

It was her. The one girl he had done it all for. This was true. When it was all boiled down, he had only taken part of both adventures for her. The first a little more so than the second, but the second shortly became about her.

"What?" he called back. There was no response other than…  
"SORA!" Kairi screeched as she shook both his shoulders. He bolted awake.

"Wha, huh?" he said sleepily, he had after all been dreaming "What's going on?"

"We're about to crash pal!" Riku shouted from the pilot's seat, struggling to keep the Gummi ship in the air.

It quickly came back to him. Shortly after receiving the letter from the King, a Gummi Ship was sent to them. It was a tad unusual, as Chip or Dale weren't there for navigation, but another note explained that their presence was more important back at the Castle. It was odd, but it made sense.

So, with Riku at the helm, they set out for the Castle. It was a bit of a journey, so Sora fell asleep in his chair. He hadn't expected anything to happen actually on the trip. The adventure was supposed to begin once they got to the world!

"How are we gonna crash?" Sora exclaimed running up to Riku.

"I don't know! One minute it was smooth sailing through space and the next, we're trapped in a massive ice storm of some kind!"

**XIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIII**

From her perch on the tower, she played her violin with ferocity. _The Devil's Trill_ was the perfect piece for this act. The snow and ice whipped around her, but she didn't mind. They were under her control now. Plus, the comforts of her black leather robe, especially with the hood up, made sure that she stayed warm.

Like a witch of old, the flakes danced around her to the rhythm of her playing. To watch them do so made her smile. He was right. This was tremendous fun!

Way up in the distance, shining through the darkness, a light flashed, heading in a downward direction.

She continued playing, even fiercer. Had to make sure everything went according to plan.

Still in the distance, she saw something big go down. She stopped playing, and the snow resumed falling in a random pattern. With a smile, she turned on her heel, her black leather robe twirling as she did so, and opened a portal to darkness. Turning her head to look back at the wreckage, she smiled and disappeared into the darkness.

**XIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIII**

Sora, Riku and Kairi climbed out of the wreckage of their Gummi Ship. Thanks to some careful piloting, they managed to avoid an even more terrible collision, and thanks to the snow, they had a cushion of sorts to crash into.

A small fire burned on the wreck. Despite the snowfall, it still burned. The three kids stood shivering in the snow. They had just came from a tropical world; they weren't prepared for this kind of weather!

"Now what?" Kairi asked, her teeth clattering.

"I don't know!" Sora said, holding his arms against his body "I didn't see this coming!"

"No one did." Riku replied, his breath coming out with every word "What can happen while traveling through space?"

"We're just lucky we landed on this World." Kairi said looking around "Wherever it is."

The boys agreed. It was fortunate that they managed to come into trouble near this World instead of out in open space. But it still couldn't help the fact that they had no clue where they were. This was an unfamiliar place and it was a bit unsettling. Snow just kept coming down at a relentless pace and while their clock had said that it was only about 2 PM, no sun shone in the sky. All there was was darkness and a distant moon that offered very little light. It seemed to be a world of eternal winter and darkness. And for three kids from the tropics, that wasn't that good.

"Alright, it's freezing!" Riku shivered "We're gonna freeze to death if we stay out here!"

"Yeah, but where do we go?" responded Sora "I don't think the wreckage of the ship will keep us warm enough. Plus, I don't think we have enough ether to create a Firaga spell."

"You're right." Agreed Riku "But what can we do?"

"Didn't while we were crashing we see a house of sorts on the horizon?" inquired Kairi.

The boys looked at each other. They had seen a house in the distance, but they were too busy worrying about surviving the crash to do anything about it. But they had seen it. From where they had crash landed, they couldn't see it due to the blizzard, but they thought they had the general direction.

"Let's go!" Sora shouted and began trudging through the snow in the direction they thought the house was in. Riku and Kairi followed soon after.

It didn't take long for the house to come into view, but it felt longer to them. They had to drag themselves through thigh high snow, while dressed for the sunshine. It wasn't a particularly pleasant experience.

When the house came into view, they saw that it wasn't that big. It was only three stories high and made of black brick. If the lights weren't on and no snow fell on it, then it couldn't be seen in the inky blackness. That's also the reason they didn't see the large central tower.

They worked their way towards the large door. Sora weakly grabbed the massive door knocker, which was shaped, ironically, like a palm tree. He slammed it up and down on the door.

He was sure that someone was home. The lights were on and a limo was parked in front, mysteriously not getting buried by the constant snowfall. He kept knocking and knocking, hoping that someone inside would hear it.

He rang the doorbell, and the sound of a guitar emanated from it. He hit it repeatedly also. They were freezing. They needed warmth and soon!

Eventually, the door did open. Holding onto the open door, a man stood. He was massive, in terms of height and width. He had to have at least two feet on Sora and Kairi and even managed to tower over Riku, who was the tallest of the three. Dressed in a black tailcoat, with an open white shirt, he looked rather shabby. At least until one got to his face, with its dark features and almost dead eyes, while hair like that of a model's sat nicely a top it all.

"Hello." He said in a rather creepy tone, even though his voice was slightly higher than one would expect from a man of his size.

"Uh, hi." Sora said, somewhat confused. He looked over at his friends. This was a little weird.

There was an awkward silence and the man broke it by just saying "You're wet."

Now they really were confused. What was going on with this guy?

It was Kairi who replied with the other obvious statement "Yes, it's snowing."

"Yes." He said with a rather creepy smile. Then taking a look at the three of them, he said "I think perhaps you better come inside."

Since they needed to get out of the snow, the three kids complied with the odd man.

Stepping into the foyer was almost like stepping into another dimension. Save for the giant red staircase in the middle, the entire room was black with little white specks spread intermittingly throughout. It gave the impression that one was standing at a nexus of space and time.

"What brings you to our abode?" the odd man asked, shutting the down and locking it.

"Well, we were traveling in our Gummi Ship" replied Sora "When we got caught in a storm or something. We crash landed on this world and I guess we're just lucky that we found this place."

"You're lucky," a voice said behind them "We're lucky! Everybody's lucky!"

The kids turned around and a woman was leaning on the railing of the staircase. She was rather short and thin, but not in a bad way. Particularly since she was dressed in a rather short skirted maid's outfit, with a little white cap a top her short black hair.

"What do we have here Riff?" she giggled as she slide down the railing and landed right in front of them.

"Some new guests apparently." Riff, as she had called him, smiled back. They both had creepy smiles on their faces and it was really unsettling.

"Well, let's get you up to some rooms and out of those wet clothes. Follow me!" replied the maid as she ran up the staircase. Sora, Riku, and Kairi just looked at each other.

"I think you'd better go. You'll catch a chill." Replied Riff walking towards the back of the room "And we wouldn't want that."

The kids shrugged and made their way up the stairs. When they reached the second floor, they were blinded by the fact that everything was painted red. From the walls to the carpet to the ceiling, everything was that bright shade of red. From the darkness of the foyer to the brightness of the second story, what was up with this place?

"You made it!" the maid said, a little too cheerfully as she stood on the stairs that lead up to the third floor "Come now! One more flight!"

She ran up the stairs and once again, the kids followed. This was a little odd. But, it beat freezing to death in the snow. And maybe they could get the ship fixed or call for a new one. Anything was possible.

The third floor seemed to be the most normal of the three. Things here were a neutral shade of blue.

The maid pointed at each of them and pointed at a room.

"There you are!" she said with a rather large smile "Fresh clothes should be inside. Hopefully they will fit! Ta!"

She ran down the stairs.

Sora looked over at Riku.

"Did you find that a little bit strange?" he asked.

"Yeah." Riku replied taking in his surroundings "But dry clothes right?"

"Sure, I guess." Sora responded heading towards the room she had pointed out to him "What do you think Kairi?"

"I have to agree with Riku." She said opening the door to her room "Just be thankful that something like this is here."

Sora nodded and went into his room and shut the door simultaneously with the others.

**XIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIII**

In a dark room, a lone figure sat hunched over a computer screen. Yes, everything was going according to plan so far.

Leaning against a pillar towards the back of the room, his hooded assistant waited. Holding his hand up, he checked his fingernails.

"So, what's next?" he asked folding his arms against his chest.

"Patience." The man at the computer replied, without turning his head, but merely holding a single finger up "Alls going well so far, but it's still too early. We must let 'Riff' and 'Magenta' play their parts. Then 'Columbia' can come down."

Pausing in thought for a second, he then continued "I should congratulate her on the snowstorm. That was masterful. And such beautiful playing!"

"Sure, whatever." His companion said "But what's my part? You haven't fully explained that to me."

"You?" replied the figure "Well, you're job is to monitor them once I make my grand appearance. Besides, I heard that you were into 16 year old boys."

A fireball flew past his head. It narrowly missed as he ducked. Luckily, it was rather weak.

"I swear, I could kill him for coming up with that stupid rumor." The one in the hood sneered "We were just friends! Is it that hard to understand?"

"Hey, they had to get their jollies where they could." Answered his partner "Particularly during that year."

"Whatever. They're all gone now anyway."

"That's the spirit!"

Underneath his hood, he just rolled his eyes.

"Now, now," his companion said getting up from his chair and going up to him "We can't have you blowing our cover here now can we? Go down hooded and something's up. Go down sans hood and you'll be recognized and all that we've done will be for vain. And with our goal, you don't want that now do you?"

Through gritted teeth, he replied "No…master."

"That's what I thought."

**XIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIII**

Sora stepped out of the room. Things were a little weirder now. They had had clothes in that room that were roughly the right size for him. Sure, the jeans were a tad loose in the waist and short in the legs, and the shirt was a little billowy, but other than that, they fit almost perfectly. When he saw his two friends, he noticed the same thing. Aside from a few imperfections, things fit perfectly. Almost as if…

"As if they were expecting us." Sora said under his breath as he walked over to Riku and Kairi.

"Weird huh?" Riku said eyeing his friends clothes up and down "How'd they know our sizes?"

"Well, it's not exact." Kairi replied "Things are a little loose and a little tight. Plus, the way this place is kind of laid out, it seems to be like a…"

"Hotel." A voice said behind the group. They turned around a new person, that wasn't Riff or the maid was standing in front of them. At first glance, it looked like the maid, as they were the same size and had identical facial features. But this new woman had long blonde hair instead of the short black hair of the maid. She was dressed in a simple black outfit, just black pants with a black shirt. Her hair was tied up in a bun. Compared to the rather bizarre outfits of the other two, she seemed to be a bit, well, normal.

"Sorry for sneaking up on you like that." Her voice was rather high and melodic, another difference, compared to almost harsh alto that belonged to the maid "I'm Columbia."

"Uh, hi." Sora said weakly. What was going on in this place? "Well, I'm Sora, and this is Riku and Kairi."

"Pleased to meet you both" she replied. Turning towards the stairs, she said "Now if you'll please come with me."

"Why?" Riku asked, a tad annoyed "What is going on with this place?"

Columbia, as she said her name was, just breathed slowly and calmly said "If you'll just come with me, then everything will be explained."

She walked down the stairs and since they were told that they were to be getting some answers, they followed. Down the stairs they went, past the red floor and into the nexus room. She went over to a wall and pulling on a rather large white blot, opened the door to a study of sorts.

The walls here were of a duller red, what could be seen anyway. Bookshelves took up most of one wall, while a roaring fire sitting in a fireplace took up another one. On the third wall, a fridge and a liquor cabinet stood with a variety of chairs and couches around them.

The kids stepped into the room and took in the details. Columbia merely closed the door and went in front of them.

"Now have a seat please." She gestured to the chairs. The trio shrugged and each took a seat in different chairs.

"Judging from the wreck outside I presume you were in some sort of crash, is this correct?" she asked.

"Yeah. We were, uh, just passing through this sector of space when a massive ice storm hit the ship. We did what we could to get through it, but we ended up crash-landing on this World."

"I see." She said, a slight smile showing on her lips "Well, in the back we have some mechanics. They'll do their best to repair the ship. In the meantime, you can just stare here at the Hotel California."

"Hotel California?" inquired Sora "What does that mean?"

"Trivial nonsense created by the lord of the manor." Replied Columbia "He has an odd sense of humor and tends to reference things that few understand. Trust me; it makes sense to him alone."

"Okay." Kairi said "How long will it take to fix the ship?"

"I'm afraid that I don't know the answer, but it should take no longer than a week. I'm sorry if it inconveniences you in any way, but that is how long it will take."

The trio leaned in to each other.

"A week?" Riku whispered in what was meant to be taken as a shout "We can't wait a week! The King needs us."

"Calm down Riku." Kairi assuaged "She said it shouldn't take more than a week. That means that it could be ready by tomorrow."

"Or not! Every one at the Castle could desperately need our help, but instead we're living it up at the Hotel California!"

"I have to agree with you Riku." Sora added "But it doesn't seem that we have a choice now do we? Let's just play this by ear."

"If this ends up turning against us…" said Riku.

"What's the worst that can happen?"

**XIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIII**

"Yes indeed what is the worst that can happen?" the figure near the computer said. He laughed a bit under his breath and it soon grew to a full ledged evil laugh. He did it for a while until he noticed his hooded companion staring at him.

"I swear, you do that and you remind me a lot of him." His partner said.

"Well, if you're going to be an evil genius you might as well act the part. Lord knows he did it."

"A little too often. And it ended up screwing us over in the end."

"Yeah well, that's what happens." Replied the shadowy figure reaching into his pocket and pulling out a cigar. Placing it in his mouth, he patted his pockets.

"Shit! I forgot my lighter!" Turning over to his companion in the room he said "You think you could…"

His hooded friend walked over and snapped his fingers under the cigar. A small flame emerged from the tips of his fingers. The one with the cigar took a drag and let the smoke slowly exit his mouth.

"Fine quality tobacco." He said removing it from his mouth "Care for one?"

"No thanks. Never got the habit."

Taking another drag, he just replied "Your loss."

In the back of the room, a portal to darkness opened. Out of it, a girl dressed in a maid's outfit with short black hair emerged.

"Ahh, my beloved Nazro." The cigar smoking one said, going up to her and giving her a hug "You played your part well."

"Thanks." She said an evil gleam in her eye "It wasn't that hard. These kids are a little too trusting."

"Yeah, you'd think that after their adventure a month ago they'd learn not to be." He replied. Shrugging, he moved back to his seat.

"Phase 1 of the plan is complete. We've got them here. I really must thank your sister her masterful violin playing. That storm she whipped up really did the trick."

"When I see her, I'll tell her." Nazro replied "So, what's next in your master plan?"

"We slowly gain their trust." He responded "We will succeed where Lumaria and Arlene failed. We won't dick around with memories or all that. Nope. Just plain simple trust. Not complete trust. I don't want to devastate him. It wouldn't be enough to complete the plan. I just need to reach the 'I don't really need to worry too much about you' level. Then we can strike."

"Whatever you say darling." She said giving him a kiss on the cheek. He smiled at that. Yes, things were good.

In the corner, his hooded companion coughed.

"Yes Azreal?"

"Oh nothing." He said leaning back against the hall.

"Fine." Replied the other figure. Turning back to Nazro he said "Go prep Balosufuz and Azrol for the next phase. It should begin tomorrow. And tell Azrol to get the kids completely situated in their rooms. We've got a big week ahead of us."

"Yes Rutonfex." Nazro replied while opening a door to darkness. She stepped in and disappeared.

TO BE CONTINUED…

A/N: First a disclaimer. The song at the beginning is property of the Eagles. I wish that I had written it, but I didn't. Plus all the legal mumbo-jumbo to Disney and Square Enix.

Now then, Act II has begun. And I even introduced a few characters I bet you thought you wouldn't see in this story!

Now what could Rutonfex's plan be? Stay tuned.

And yes, the RHPS references are as follows: When "Riff", the name of the butler character from the show, opens the door, he repeats verbatim the lines spoken by the character in the movie. He's also dressed like Riff from the movie. The same goes for Nazro, who's "Magenta". Azrol as "Columbia" isn't dressed like the character from the movie as she's dressed too weird, even for this.

So enjoy this chapter. Scene II to follow.

Goodnight!

The Magnificent Tim Fortune 10/10/08 1:26 AM


	14. How They Dance in the Courtyard

**Tim Fortune**

**Presents**

**COGNITO**

**Act II Scene II: How They Dance in the Courtyard…**

_Her mind is Tiffany-twisted,  
She got the Mercedes-bends.  
She got a lot of pretty, pretty boys,  
That she calls friends._

_How they dance in the courtyard,  
Sweet summer sweat.  
Some dance to remember, some dance to forget.  
So I called up the Captain,  
"Please bring me my wine"  
__He said "We haven't had that spirit here since 1969."_

_And still those voices are calling from far away!  
Wake you up in the middle of the night,  
Just to hear them say:_

_Welcome to the Hotel California!  
Such a lovely place (such a lovely place),  
Such a lovely face.  
They living it up at the Hotel California!  
__What a nice surprise, (what a nice surprise),  
Bring you alibis! _

_**THE NEXT DAY…**_

In his bed, Rutonfex sat up and stretched. As per his habit, he looked out the window the minute he got up. He knew that it was always the same, dark and snowing, just the way he liked it. He had done the same in the Underworld and at the Castle, both places with unchanging scenery. He couldn't help it. It was habit.

Right next to him, Nazro slept peacefully. He ran a finger through her hair, but all she did was murmur and roll over, grabbing more of the blanket as she did so. Rutonfex just smiled.

Stepping out of bed, he threw some underwear, a shirt, some sweatpants, socks and a nearby hoodie and left the room. He made his way through the hallway and went downstairs.

All was peaceful in the house. Just as it should be at this hour. The kids were asleep up in their respective rooms after spending the night wondering what exactly was going on.

The Artisan smiled. Everything was going exactly to plan. Azrol played her part perfectly by summoning the massive ice storm that caused their ship to crash. He had heard her playing from his location in the tower and as always, he was blown away by her playing. A real virtuoso that one was.

When the kids actually arrived, Balosufuz did perfectly too. Rutonfex was happy to see that he had gotten the reference with what he was to be doing. And even if Nazro didn't fully get it, she was still phenomenal, a performance that he spent the better part of the night before thanking her.

All in all, his little collection of Nobodies was the perfect group for him. They didn't hesitate when he asked them what he needed for them to become and during the actual procedure…well, everything went perfectly.

Just the way he liked it.

The Artisan loved being in control. Who didn't? Sweet order, his order, was the way to go. And when he finally succeeded in his mission with the Keyblader brat, then the real work can begin. His perfect universe was only days away from being created. Few things had ever made him that happy. His new purpose in life was to begin and there was no way that he could fail. At least, none that he could see.

He entered the kitchen. Balosufuz hadn't awoken yet to make breakfast, but the coffee pot was already on and full. Humming a song, he grabbed a mug and poured. Taking some Half & Half out of the fridge and adding it to the mix, he proceeded to add liberal amounts of sugar. When that task was done, he stirred it vigorously.

As he took a sip of his mixture, the smell of perfume entered his nose.

Closing his eyes, he took it in. With them still shut, he turned around said "Well, good morning sweet…", but when he opened his eyes, it wasn't Nazro that stood before him. It was Kairi.

"Jesus!" he exclaimed dropping his mug. All the pieces shattered and his mixture spread across the floor. "Shit, that was my favorite mug!"

He grabbed a cloth from the counter and got down and began to mop it up. Looking up at who stood before him, he said "You could help you know!"

She grabbed a cloth herself and joined him. Rutonfex picked up the pieces of his coffee mug and placed them on the counter.

"Goddammit, that was my favorite one too." He sighed. Turning to face his kitchen companion, he added "You really know how to startle people, you know that?"

"Who are you?" she asked turning her head sideways.

"Well, I was gonna wait until later today, but since you're already here…" replied the Artisan, taking another mug out of the cabinet "Please allow me to introduce myself, I'm the owner of the Hotel. The name's Frank."

A smile spread across his face. Meanwhile, his guest eyed him up and down.

"You don't look like you'd own something like this."

"Well, it's early. I woke up and went to get some coffee; I didn't expect you to be here. But since you are, how about some breakfast?"

Kairi looked at him. Sure, he was a bit odd, but there was something else about him, something she couldn't quite put her finger on. Something about him seemed a little off.

"Sure." She shrugged as she took a seat at the nearby table.

"Most excellent." Replied Rutonfex as he remade his coffee mixture. After testing it to make sure it was how he liked it, he proceeded to pull some waffle mix out of nearby cabinet. Adding the right amount of water and mix to a bowl, he picked it up and began to beat it furiously. The entire time he did that, he continued talking.

"So, what brings you to my fine house?" Of course he knew answer, he was the sole reason they were here. But in order for his plan to work, he needed to keep up a façade of sorts. Get him into their good graces. Maybe it was a good thing that Kairi had surprised him this morning. If he could get her to like him first, then it would easier for the other two to accept him. After all, who's going to question the judgment of a Princess of Heart?

"We were traveling through this area when an ice storm of sorts made us crash land on this World." She replied, folding her hands on the table.

"Pity." Responded Rutonfex, putting the mixture down and pulling the waffle iron out from under the stove "You know, I did hear some of my people talking about repairing a ship. I guess that must be yours."

Kairi just nodded. The two stared at each other for a while as the Artisan poured the batter into the iron.

"Do you have any clue as to when it's going to be done?" she asked, breaking the silence.

Rutonfex just shrugged.

"Anywhere from later today to maybe a week. It depends on the damage and model. But I'm confidant that my people can fix it."

"Well, that's good." Said Kairi "We have an important meeting with someone and we don't want to be too late."

Rutonfex raised an eyebrow.

"Oh ho?" he said, a slight smile crossing his lips. He knew that she was referring to the meeting with the King, which was not going to happen. The Artisan himself had written that note and used it as a means to get them out to his little rock. It was all part of the plan. And so far, everything was going smoothly. "If you don't mind me asking, who do you need to meet?"

"Someone important." Was all she said. She still was a little unsure about this guy.

"Looks I'm just gonna have to wonder who then." He replied as the waffle iron beeped. He took the waffle out of it and poured more batter in. "I guess since it's an important meeting with someone important, it must not really be my business to pester you about it."

"Fine then." She answered. Once again, the two stared at each other.

Rutonfex's smile grew larger as the iron beeped once again.

"Normally in this situation, I'd say something witty and then well…good things would happen."

Kairi just glared at him.

"Well, obviously I'm not going to do that with you! What are you, like 16? Yeah, I may be at the ass end of nowhere, but I at least try to follow some civilized laws. Above all else, I consider myself a gentleman."

Her expression softened a bit as he slid a plate with a waffle on it in front of her.

"Dig in." he said putting an identical plate in front of himself "There's syrup and strawberries and cream in the fridge."

"Thanks, I guess." She replied getting up and heading towards it. Taking the bottle of syrup out of it, she walked back towards the table and sat down. "Look, I'm sorry if I seem a little distant, but…I don't know. Things are just a little odd."

"Imaginably so." Replied Rutonfex grabbing the bottle and pouring it liberally on his waffle "C'mon. Your ship crashes on this strange world and you have to take shelter here. Plus I imagine my associates did add to the strange factor when they greeted you."

"Oh yeah." Kairi said cutting a piece off her meal "If your butler didn't creep me out to begin with, than your maid certainly did."

"They have been known to do that." He added "Probably why I keep them around. They entertain me, but I guess it must creep some people out."

"Probably." Continued Kairi "That other woman, Columbia, she said her name was, seemed a bit more normal."

"Compared to the other two, she's down right sane."

He managed to get a little chuckle out of Kairi. Things were working so far.

"How'd you like the rooms?" He asked, picking a big chunk of waffle off his plate.

"They were pretty nice. And comfortable too. On the other Worlds I've been to, I've usually been in some sort of dungeon."

"What?" he said, maybe laying the surprise a bit too thick. Of course he knew all about what she had been doing during the two Crises, but he was supposed to be someone who was out of touch with the outside world. So far, that image was working a bit. "Why ever would you end up in a dungeon?"

Putting her head in her hand, she laughed "It's a long story."

"I'll bet!" he laughed back "This involve your two traveling companions up there?"

"They're only the center of the story." She replied with a smile.

"I'd love to hear it." He said leaning back in his chair "If you would be inclined to tell it of course."

She just laughed.

"It was pretty scary while it was actually happening, but now it just seems funny. Well, it begins about a year ago; I was on the beach in the Destiny Islands when I went over to wake Sora who had fallen asleep in the sand…"

**XIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIII**

Azrol climbed out of her bed stood in front of her window looking out at the snow that was falling to the ground. Moving her hand back and forth, the flakes danced in time with it. She smiled. That always was entertaining to do.

Perhaps, the lack of a Heart wasn't a bad thing after all. She certainly didn't feel any different now that it wasn't beating in her chest. There was a kind of numbness, but like any numbness, one fights through it till they can feel again.

Despite the horrifying procedure she had to endure to make her like this, it was all worth it. For with the lack of a Heart, a power came with it. Azrol had received power over Cold. All ice, snow and anything else frozen fell under her control. It was the perfect power for the quiet, contemplative girl. And she proved her worth with it the day before.

Standing on the tower of the Hotel, she played her violin with ferocity and summoned such a massive ice storm that it reached into space. This was to crash the ship carrying the kids, as per the plan created by Rutonfex.

And how she loved it! In the cold, on top of the tower, she played. And it was a wonderful liberating experience. Azrol hadn't felt like that since that incident a few months back when she impulsively kissed Rutonfex after playing a duet.

She was still embarrassed by what had happened that day. He may have forgotten about it, but she didn't. Heart or not, she was in love with the man. He was perfect. Smart, handsome in a rather offbeat sort of way and above all, a kind, caring man.

If someone who lacked a Heart could somehow find it within themselves to take pity on two poor girls and purchase them for the sake of giving them a better life, then that was the calling card of a kind man. Strong emotion may not come as easily as it once did, but Rutonfex had shown that he cared deeply about them. And about his friend Ian, now known as Balosufuz. For a while she had wondered about the mysterious Eva who lived in the house. Rutonfex eventually told her the truth about that.

Shortly after he met Ian, the man had killed the original Eva after finding out she had just gotten engaged to another man. Since he loved her above anyone else, it tore him up inside. So, he went to her house and in a drunken rage, ended up killing both her and her fiancé. He allowed himself to get arrested and was ready to face his fate, when Rutonfex appeared and rescued him. To ease the transition better, he used his powers to create a duplicate of the girl. Since his powers were limited, the doppelganger merely looked like the original, nothing more. But Ian didn't care. He had his beloved back.

Once more, this showed that Rutonfex had kindness and caring within him. He didn't have to do that at all. He could have easily gone on to the next World without ever giving a second thought to what had happened to his friend. But he didn't. He chose to stay behind and rescue him from his fate.

Just a wonderful, caring former human being.

After spending a while making the snowflakes dance for her amusement, Azrol went over to her closet to get dressed. As was the custom, she put on her black shirt and pants that had given to her as part of the uniform. The gloves that went along with it were in her bedside drawer. As for the robe, it hung in the back of the closet. Despite the oddity of it, she actually liked it. Despite the disdain that Rutonfex had ranted on about the Organization he once belonged to, he still had a bit of admiration for some customs. After all, a black leather robe is a definitive fashion statement.

Instead of the heeled boots that went along with it, she instead put on a pair of black slippers. Since she already was wearing pure black, they had to do.

After adjusting her long blonde hair in the mirror, she left her room and headed downstairs. As she passed by Nazro's room, she didn't hear the breathing that was typical at this time of the morning. That was a bit unusual, but she didn't think twice about it. Her sister was probably down getting breakfast or in the study or something.

Deep down she knew where she really was. Nazro hadn't actually slept in the bedroom that been made hers in months. Instead, she had made her home in Rutonfex's bed. Azrol was completely unwilling to admit to herself that her sister was the one he had chosen. She still believed that they would end up together. In a way, it was a less extreme version of the "love story" of Ian and Eva. One could only hope it didn't end the same way.

Azrol made her way downstairs. As she entered the star filled entranceway, the smell of coffee and waffles led her to the kitchen. Pushing the door open, she saw Rutonfex sitting with his back to the door. And in front of him was someone she hadn't expected to see at the moment.

Rutonfex turned around in his chair.

"Well good morning Columbia!" he said with a smile "Care to sit down?"

He kicked out the chair right next to him, and Azrol nervously sat down next to him. Just more vestiges of the love for him that was within her. As she was a rather shy person, expressing those feelings didn't come easy. The only people she was ever completely open with were her sister and her old friend from long ago, Ela. Of course, now, she had to keep things a little close to the chest. Her sister, even if she was completely unwilling to admit it, was sleeping with the man she loved. And Ela…well, she lost touch with him when she and Nora ran off. She didn't know what had happened to him. Sometimes, she'd lie awake at night wondering about her old friend and whether or not he was doing well.

"Now I was just talking with Kairi here about her adventures or lack thereof in her case." He said motioning his hand over to the Princess.

"It is rather hard to have an adventure when you're either unconscious or shuffled around from World to World." She replied "But they were interesting times."

"I'll bet." Responded Azrol.

"Now Columbia," said Rutonfex putting his arm around her shoulder. She felt instantly at ease because of it. "You're gonna do that monosyllabic thing again?"

"No, not at all." She replied. Turning to face Kairi, she said "So, you've been talking with him for most of the morning? Surprised you actually got a word in. All this guy does is talk."

Rutonfex laughed while Kairi just smiled.

"Sure he did most of the talking in the beginning," she began "And well, once you get past the rapid pace at which he does it, he's actually kinda interesting."

Azrol just smiled. It was the smile that said "you don't the half of it". She had just described one of the reasons she loved the man.

"Please stop!" chortled Rutonfex "You're all too kind."

Turning to look at Kairi, he added "Well, why don't you go wake your friends? I'd like to meet them soon."

Kairi got up from the table and left the room. Rutonfex put his hands behind his head and leaned back in his chair.

"I couldn't be happier with how things are going." He said "Soon, I'll be able to complete my plan."

"You sure sound confidant." Azrol replied. Even though she didn't want to disagree with him, it seemed a good deal of things went wrong when he got too confidant in his abilities.

"Well, things are going good." He said snapping his chair back to the floor "And I've been meaning to tell you this since yesterday, your playing for the storm, magnifico!" and he kissed his fingers to underscore it.

Azrol blushed. It wasn't the typical red blush, but rather a slightly purplish one. Due to the lack of a Heart pumping, blood wasn't oxygenated enough to show a healthy red. Instead, it turned a light purplish-red. Just one of the many things that happened upon the transformation from Human to Nobody.

"You're too kind." She replied.

"Yeah, I know." He smiled. Looking at the clock on the microwave, he stood up from his chair.

"Now if you'll excuse me, I've got to go confer with Azreal. Ciao!"

He opened a portal to darkness and disappeared within it.

Azrol slunk down in her seat with a huge smile on her face. Is there anything about this man that wasn't amazing? Sure, she sounded like some love-sick fangirl, but that's how she felt. Maybe it was time to let him in on it. Sure, he probably already knew, what with him being a telepath and all, but she wasn't going to let that ruin the moment.

"Tonight then." She said sitting straight up "That's when I'm going to do it. Tonight."

And with a bigger smile than before, she got up from her seat to grab a cup of coffee.

**XIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIII**

Sora groggily opened his eyes and was surprised to see Kairi kneeling over him.

"Gah!" he exclaimed as he jumped backwards and hit his head on the headboard behind the bed.

"Ow." He said rubbing his head with a grimace.

"Good morning to you too." Kairi laughed.

"Interesting wake up call." He replied. That was an understatement. Of course, far too many times he had woken up to Kairi hovering either over or around him, so he shouldn't have been surprised. Yet every time he was. "You just get up too?"

"Oh no. I went downstairs for breakfast and…" but she didn't get a chance to finish as Riku walked into the room with a yawn.

"Morning everybody." He said leaning against the door frame "Man, I had the weirdest dream. I thought I saw someone in an Organization cloak playing violin outside my window as the snow danced around them. It was odd to say the least."

"Erm…okay." Sora replied "Anyway Kairi, you were saying?"

"So I went downstairs to get breakfast. I was just going to grab a bowl of cereal or something, whatever they have here, when I suddenly find myself face to face with none other than the owner himself."

Sora leaned closer to her in his bed, while Riku moved away from the door frame.

"Really?" Sora asked "What's he like?"  
Considering that they were for the moment trapped in a rather bizarre place with a name that made no sense staffed by people who were just plain eerie, there was a good chance that he already knew the answer. The guy was probably king nutjob.

"King nutjob no doubt." Riku replied.

"Kinda." Answered Kairi "Sure, he rambled on and on about nothing, but he had this odd charm about him. I don't quite know how to describe it, but he seemed like an alright guy at the end."

"Yeah, I'll bet." Riku said rolling his eyes, his voice full of skepticism. "Sure, I'll accept the fact that it was fortunate that we managed to crash land on his world, but he's holding us up from our meeting with the King!"

"Calm down Riku." Said Sora "He's got his people fixing our ship. Besides, I don't think the Worlds will be plunged into darkness just because we couldn't get to him immediately. Sure, the job will be more difficult, but c'mon, after the Organization?"

"That's another thing," Riku said "What people? As far as I can tell, there's only him, that butler, that maid and that other woman. No one else is here. So again, what people?"

"There's a shed of sorts in the back." Kairi added "I guess they're working on it in there."

"They must not be working too hard." Said Riku "Up to a week! Man, if I see this guy, he's got some explaining to do."

"Can you ever be optimistic?" Sora asked.

"Someone's got to keep their feet on the ground." He answered "Besides, I think this guy, whoever he is, isn't having his people tell us the full story. There's something else going on here."

"Like what?" asked Sora "Sure, the people here were a little odd, but that doesn't mean something's up."

"Then it was a coincidence that it was smooth sailing throughout the entire journey, then suddenly there's an ice storm right here?"

"That doesn't mean anything."

"Look, I just don't want to be completely blown away if something does go down." Riku said calmly "I just want to keep a healthy level of skepticism. If everything turns out alright, then you guys can just keep teasing me about this. But if I'm right…"

"Same ol' Riku." Sora said shaking his head with a smile "Always way too serious. I'm not exactly pleased with the way things turned out here, but we might as well go along with it."

"He's right." Added Kairi "Just have to make the best with what we have."

"Fine then." Riku replied "But seriously, I think that something might be up."

"If something sinister was going on here, then our keyblades would have responded in some way." Sora said "Since that hasn't happened, then nothing's up. Everything will turn out fine."

"Maybe." Riku said heading out the door "But then maybe, we could all be doomed because you didn't listen to me in the first place."

As soon as Riku had exited the room, shutting the door behind him, Sora spoke again.

"Wow." He said with a smile "After all this time, the guy still doesn't know how to loosen up."

"After all this time," Kairi added "He has a right to be a little distrustful. After all, Xehanort wormed his way into his heart by making it seem everything was happening for the best."

"That was a year ago! Plus, we took care of Xehanort, both halves."

"That's not the point." She said getting up from the bed and standing beside it "After an experience like that, he's almost unable to take things at face value. There always has to be some deeper, sinister thing beneath it. He doesn't want to be caught off guard again."

"I still think he's getting himself worked up over nothing." Added Sora "We were lucky that's all. Really, would he prefer that we just stood out there in the cold and slowly froze to death with a busted ship, while no one has any clue where we are? I say, we just accept what fate has dealt us. You said you met the guy, did he really seem like an alright guy?"

"Sorta." Kairi shrugged "He was hard to place. Plus, he was always smiling. It was just unbelievably creepy. Of course, I gave him a shock of sorts. He thought I was someone else when he turned to face me."

Sora laughed. That was a little funny that she managed to confuse the owner of this place. As for the eternal smile, how creepy could it be? He liked to smile a lot too, and he was never told that it was unsettling or creepy in any sort of way.

"When that happened, he also shattered his favorite mug." Kairi continued "I helped him clean up and then we had some breakfast and just talked. He really was a little odd, but considerably less than that butler or maid. Now they were creepy."

"Got that right."

Sora looked over at the clock on his bed stand.

"Well," he said "I guess I'd better get out of bed. I'll find you later in this place. Maybe we can calm Riku down a bit after I have something to eat."

"Okay." She said and walked out the door.

Sora was left alone in the room. Swinging his legs over the edge, his bare feet made contact with the somewhat cold ground. While the floor was carpeted, it was still somewhat freezing, as cold air from the frozen exterior of the World managed to get into the heated interior. For someone from the tropics, the idea of cold was odd. Sure, he'd experienced snow and cold before on his travels to the Land of Dragons and Christmas Town, but never constantly falling and at such a low temperature. On those worlds, it was just scenery. Here, it seemed to be the core of the World.

Deciding not to give it any more thought, he went about the task of preparing himself for the day. Despite the clock reading a time in the morning, the sky was the same as it was the night before; dark and snowing.

"This really is a strange World." He mused to himself as he pulled his socks on. And for someone like him who had traveled from the trees of Deep Jungle to the rain soaked streets of the World That Never Was, for him to say that said something about this World.

Sora peered out his window. Through the snow and the darkness, he managed to make out that shed that Kairi had been talking about. It was a rather non-descript gray building that didn't stick out too much amidst the white and black of the snow and darkness. It didn't have any windows, so there was no way to tell what was going on inside of it. Hopefully, whoever was in there was working on their ship. If that was in fact the building where it was being repaired.

Things could have been worse. They could have been trapped in the cold with no contact and no supplies. It was lucky that they happened to be in the same area as this place.

But some of what Riku had said couldn't get out of Sora's mind. Maybe it was all too coincidental to be plain luck. He dismissed such thoughts. They'd be on their way to meet the King in no time. He didn't think that it would take a week to repair the ship. For all he knew, it could be done by the end of the day. That woman, Columbia she said she was named, had said that she wasn't quite sure. She just gave an estimate.

But the doubt remained. He'd have to check out that shed. Maybe he could get some light on what was going on.

"But first breakfast." He said as he tied his final shoelace and walked out the door.

**XIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIII**

Rutonfex stepped out of the portal inside in his study. Letting it fade, he moved over to his mini bar within the room. Sure it was only about 11 AM, but with the way he kept the world, time had almost no function. He just kept the clocks around so that he could plan his day better when he had a number to go along with it. Besides, he was thirsty and a glass of rum felt right at that moment.

As he eased back in his chair and watched the fire crackle in the fire place as he slowly sipped his drink, another portal to darkness opened next to him.

"A little early for drink don'tcha think?" Nazro said as she stepped out of the portal and sat on his lap.

Looking down at his drink and then at her, he replied "Nah."

Taking another sip, he looked at her again "So how's Sleeping Beauty this morning?"

With a smile on her face, she gave him a kiss. "Never better. So how are you doing? Gonna reveal yourself to the kids today?"

"That part of the plan has been changed." Rutonfex answered "Incidentally, did you know that you and the Princess up there wear the same perfume?"

Nazro cocked her head to the side.

"And what's that supposed to mean?"

Coolly taking another sip of his drink, Rutonfex answered calmly "Well, because of the confusion, I ended up breaking my favorite coffee mug when I was surprised to not see you standing behind me."

"Aww." She said with a smile as she playfully threw a punch at him.

"But other than that little misfortune, I've shown myself to the Princess. She's probably up right now telling her little friends about me. I actually like this arrangement better than the original plan. Let's face it; I can come off as an asshole."

"Aw, you're not." Nazro replied kissing him on the cheek.

"Strange hearing it from you." He answered "About 4 months back, you were ready to rip my balls off if I came any where near you."

"Just remember what's happened since then."

Rutonfex took a sip of his drink and smiled. Oh yes. He remembered what had happened in those four months. And he enjoyed every second of it.

"Glad to know I've still got your support." Said Rutonfex. Finishing the last of his drink, he put the glass down on the armrest.

"Welp, I've got Azreal on monitor duty, Balosufuz is still with 'Eva', your sister's off doing something, and the kids are just wandering around for the time. Looks like we got some time to kill."

"And how do you plan on spending it?"

He leaned close and whispered in her ear.

"But I just got out of bed!" she exclaimed.

"Alright then, how about this…" and he whispered something else into her ear.

Nazro just shook her head.

"Do you think about anything else?" she asked.

"I'm a guy, so…no." he laughed "Not really. Besides, I know how to get you in the mood."

Carefully sliding her off his lap, he went over to the stereo and hit play. A soothing voice came out of it and Rutonfex sang along as he walked back to his love.

"_I can dim the lights and sing you songs full of sad things…"_ he sang as he walked right next to her.

"Oh god." She said with a smile as she put her head in her hand.

Taking her hands and pulling her close to him, he continued "_We can do the tango just for two. I can serenade and gently play on your heartstrings. Be a Valentino just for you_."

"Oh god." She moaned softly as she pulled the Artisan's head down and gave him a kiss.

With their lips still together, Rutonfex opened a portal to darkness and the two of them stepped right in. Because of the heat of the thing, they exited the portal in the hallway outside of Rutonfex's door, instead of in his room like it was meant to be.

But the two didn't care. Placing her against the door, he began sliding the shoulders of her bathrobe down, as she fumbled for the doorknob. He practically exposed to her to the world before she managed to find it and the romance spilled into the bedroom.

The door shut behind them. Since they were in the heat of passion, they didn't notice any one watching them as they went about their business.

But one person was watching. One person who, if she still had it, would be holding the remains of her Heart in her hand.

Frozen tears began running down her face, but Azrol didn't pay attention. All she felt was…numb. Maybe it was for the best. After all, who could stand to see one's sister go into the room of the man they loved in the heat of passion?

Silently, Azrol crept back into her bedroom. She had been waiting for later in the day to bare her soul to him and completely and utterly become his, but instead, he had chosen her sister and proved it by going off for a little afternoon delight. She had sensed his presence when the portal opened in front of his door and she had exited her room to just to get a look. And, well, she got it. She saw her sister moaning and carrying on like an animal of sorts, as the man she gave her literal Heart to felt her up.

If she still had her Heart, it would be broken. Now, all she wanted was what she had; the numbness. It was an odd comfort in a way, not being able to feel the devastation that was connected to this.

Of course, deep down inside, she always knew. Oh, how she denied it and ignored it. The Artisan was for her to have. But now, after witnessing the paring of him and her sister, she couldn't deny it any longer. He had made his choice. It was her whore of a sister.

Azrol meant to just sit by the window and play a little music as the snowflakes danced for her. At least she would have some control over that. But when she entered the room, she didn't expect to find the person who was sitting on her bed.

"What do you want Azreal?" she said scornfully. She couldn't see his reaction because of the hood he always wore covered most of his face, save for his mouth. It wasn't the hood from the leather robe; instead it was the hood of just a simple gray hoodie that he kept zippered to the top.

"What, I can't just pop by and talk?" he said innocently.

"I'm not in the mood right now, so just disappear." Azrol snapped.

"Whoa, whoa!" said Azreal putting his hands up defensively "Calm down there."

"If you don't disappear in about 30 seconds," she said menacingly, her voice coated in ice "You're going to be just another icicle hanging outside."

"Please," he replied nonchalantly "Guy I knew a while back used to give me the exact same threats. I didn't listen to him, so I don't really think I should for you."

Azrol sneered. It was bad enough that she had just witnessed the carnal passion of Rutonfex and her sister, now she had to listen to this asshole?

"Really Azreal," she sighed, as it appeared that he wasn't going to go anywhere "What do you want?"

"I told you, I just want to chat."

"Okay, but shouldn't you be up keeping an eye on the kids, making sure that they don't do anything to disrupt the plans?"

"I've got Balosufuz covering for me." He said pointing a thumb to the ceiling "Besides, it's not like the Master will notice I'm gone. He's gonna be too busy with…"

But he stopped when he saw the sneer appear on Azrol's face.  
"Ooo," he said a noticeable wince under the hood "Sore subject."

"I just don't get it." Azrol said taking a seat on the bed next to her hooded companion "Why her? Four months ago she wanted to kill him! Now they're bumping headboards like a bunch of creatures in heat!"

"Ahh," Azreal said slowly "It seems you've seen the raw heat between Rutie and Nazro. Can't say I blame him. She is one fine…"

"WE LOOK EXACTLY THE SAME!" Azrol shouted "We're fucking twins for Christ's sake! The only difference is our hair! What, if I cut mine short and dyed it black, would he be able to tell the difference then, huh?"

"Wow." Was Azreal's response "You fell for him hard didn't you?"

"More than you know." She answered "Until he bought us at that auction, life was unbelievably bleak. He saved us. He didn't have to, but he did. He showed us that he's a kind caring man."

"Would a kind, caring man rip your still beating Heart from your chest so that you could be able to help him in his insane plot?" Azreal asked "Would a kind, caring man use you like a pawn in a complex scheme for his own ends? Does any of that sound like the calling card of a kind man?"

Azrol stayed silent. Now that he'd mentioned it, maybe she was wrong in her assessment of him. But, then again…

"No, no." she said shaking her head "He saved me and my sister from a life of slavery."

"So that he could have two more little helpers running around and also bonk your sister." Replied Azreal "C'mon. You're too love sick to actually think this through. Besides, I think that deep down he doesn't really care about any of you."

Azrol stared at him with such an icy glare that the room itself began to frost over.

"Yes…he…does." She said through gritted teeth.

"Please." Dismissed Azreal "He has no Heart. And from the way he acts, he hasn't had one for a while. He's probably forgotten what true human attachment feels like."

"No, no." Azrol said softly, while lowering and shaking her head "That's not true. We can still feel things. It's faint, but we can still feel."

"Oh, he fed you that lie?" responded Azreal lifting her head up to face his hooded face "I've been a Nobody for a long time. Trust me I know. We are incapable of feeling anything. What we think are feelings are nothing more than memory. And if you no longer have that memory, then you can longer pretend to feel that emotion."

"But," she replied softly moving her head out his hand and putting her hand on her chest "I feel the numbness, but I can feel emotion underneath it."

"You only 'feel' the emotion because you've deluded yourself into thinking you do." Said Azreal "Your emotions now are nothing more than memory. Of course, sometimes, you can find those that make you feel like you still have a heart."

He hung his head at that statement. Azrol went closer to him and put her arm around his shoulder.

"What happened?" she asked softly.

"He left. He couldn't take it anymore, so he just…left."

"Oh." Was all she said "I didn't know that you were…you know…"

His head snapped up.

"Of course not!" he said, a little angrily "We just really good friends. Nothing more. But, somehow, he made me feel whole again."

"Wow." Azrol said softly "What did you do?"

"Carried on for a bit. Tried to bring him back, but he no longer wanted anything to do with us. And we parted on not so pleasant terms. So, I pretty much had a death wish from there on out. After a hard fight, I thought that 'this was it' and I could make amends beyond the grave. But, the Master found me and since I was fearful of death, I accepted his offer to heal me. But now, I regret it. I wish he had just left me to die."

"So, all you did before was for the sake of your friend?"

"Exactly. Hell, even a year ago I was doing things for his sake." Azreal said lowering his head and placing his hands between his knees "I killed a man to protect him. And I lead two more of my comrades to their deaths to make sure that nothing they did harmed him in any way."

"You must have really cared for him then." Said Azrol, this time lifting his head up to her face "It must be nice to someone like that out in all the Worlds."

She removed her hand from his chin.

"I wish there was someone like that for me out there." She said, turning her head away from him "But there isn't. I thought that maybe my sister and…him…but no. I'm just alone in this universe."

"Come on." Azreal said turning her head back to face him "You can't be completely alone."

"Yes I can. I've been largely on my own since I was separated from Nora about two years back. But even before then, I really only had one friend."

"Who was he?" Asked Azreal softly "If you don't mind me asking."

"I don't know if you'd know him or not, but he was a cheerful guy who was always there with a wisecrack or a joke. Anything to put a smile on your face." Sighing softly, she said "I wish he was here right now."

"He may be closer than you think." Azreal said and for the first time, he lowered his hood. Azrol didn't know what to expect under that hood, but when he finally removed it, she was as surprised she had probably ever been. For underneath, a face from the past looked back at her.

"But…but…" she stammered as she got a good look at his now familiar face. She ran her hand down his smooth cheek "How? When?"

"It wasn't too long after you left." He said taking her hand and clasping it in his "Besides, didn't you recognize my voice?"

Azrol thought about it. While it had been a little familiar at first, she hadn't made the connection until right then and there.

"No." she laughed a little "I didn't."

"You wound me Lora." He smiled "You wound me."

"How long were you planning on keeping this from me?" Azrol asked looking at him up and down.

"I dunno." He said "Maybe forever. Lord knows I wanted to run up to you and show myself. But, something just held me back."

"But when did you lose your Heart?" she asked still slightly shocked at this revelation.

"I told you," he replied "Not too long after you left. I don't remember too much of what happened. All I know was I was at the lowest I've ever been and then…there was numbness. I was found by another of our kind and he took me to meet his comrades. After that, I was accepted into their group."

"And that's where you met your friend." Azrol said. She still couldn't get over this blast from the past.

"Well, I actually met him about a year later. Until he came along, I kept mostly to myself. There were some good guys there, but the rest were complete assholes. Especially this one guy. He was the one I ended up killing by the way."

"You say that so calmly." Responded Azrol "But you took another man's life."

"Again, no Heart."

"Yeah, but…"

"It's not like he didn't have it coming." Was his defense.

"Still," Azrol said, removing her hand from his "The guy I knew back then wouldn't willingly kill anybody."

"I'm the not same guy I was. I've changed. We've all changed. The minute we lost our Hearts, there was a change in us. You, excuse the expression, felt it too I bet."

Azrol looked at her hands. Yes, she had felt something. But it wasn't that strong. But, there was something different about her. It reminded her of a lyric from a song that Rutonfex had played a few times "_Man I ain't changed, but I know I ain't the same_." That was exactly how she felt.

"Maybe you're right." She said quietly "About everything."

Taking her head in his hands, he stared right at her.

"That's what I need to hear. You've got to trust me. If you can't trust me, then really who can you?" he asked "Your sister? The murderer upstairs? Him? It's me and you Lora. Me and you. Together, we can be strong."

Moving her out of his hands, Azrol stood up and faced away from him.

"I don't know." She sighed "Things are now just…I don't know. Everything's just fucked up. And what he's going to do to that kid…"

"It sickens me too." Azreal said going next to her "But we can't stop him now. I don't want to face the kid and tell him of his plan. I can't bear to go near him. He reminds me too much of…him."

"I can go with you." She replied turning to face him "You said it yourself, together we can be strong."

"Yeah, but…" he said as he turned away from her "I don't think that even with you propping me up I can't be that strong. Besides, it's not the goal itself that sickens me; it's how he's going to achieve it. But, who am I to stop it? I owe him. He saved my life. I wish now that I died, but…Christ, I didn't. I don't want to face the void now."

"What now then?" Azrol asked. He still hadn't turned to face her "Do we just give up? Act like nothing's wrong and continue going on?"

"I wish I had an answer, but I don't. But, we still have to stick together. It's us against them. Besides," he turned and faced her, but he hung his head when he did "I think you could be someone who could make me feel whole again. In fact, I think…I…I could actually be in love with you."

"Stop that." Azrol said, slightly shocked "Don't even joke about something like that. If I still had my Heart, it'd be in tatters right now because of _him_. I don't need you going about and making it worse."

"Don't tell me you've never thought about it. You and me? We're too perfect for each other to just be friends. Think about it. If you concentrate hard enough, you'll find memories that show that I'm right."

Azrol thought hard. Her mind was preoccupied with the thoughts of her sister and Rutonfex going at it, her previous thoughts about the man and the suddenly realization of Azreal's true identity, but, she thought past all that. She thought back to her days on her own homeworld, when the happiest times she had ever had were with the man who now stood before her.

"I think…" she stammered out "I think, I may be in love with you."

"Thank you." He said softly as he lowered his head to give her a kiss. It was more pleasurable than the one she had impulsively placed on Rutonfex about four months earlier.

Their lips parted after what seemed a blissful eternity. The two looked deep into each others eyes, her pale blue staring into his shocking green.

"I love you Lora." He said and then he leaned close and whispered into her ear...

"Got it memorized?"

TO BE CONTINUED…

11/4/08 12:06 AM


	15. You Can Check Out Anytime You Like

**Tim Fortune**

**Presents**

**COGNITO**

**Act II Scene III: You Can Check Out Anytime You Like…**

_Mirrors on the ceiling,  
The pink champagne on ice,  
And she said "We are all just prisoners here of our own device."_

_And in the master's chambers, they gathered for the feast,  
They stab it with their steely knives,  
But they just can't kill the beast!_

_Last thing I remember, I was running for the door.  
I had to find the passage back to the place I was before.  
"Relax" said the Nightman "We are programmed to receive."_

_**You can check out anytime you like,  
**__**BUT YOU CAN NEVER LEAVE!**_

The snow whipped at his face as he trudged through it. It was as if it had a will of its own. If it did, it must have been incredibly angry at something, for it was violently blowing into his face and around the main building.

It did that for a while, and then, suddenly calmed. It was another oddity in a world full of oddities. But Sora thought nothing of it. It was no longer an impediment to his journey to the shed where his Gummi ship was presumably getting fixed.

Mere curiosity drove him. He didn't have to go to it, but he was curious to see how far along the work was. If they were nearly done, then they could leave and continue onward to meet the King.

It was just that simple right?

He trudged through the snow as the flakes above him now danced in a rhythmic pattern. But the Keyblader paid no attention to them as he finally made it to the front door of the shed. Placing his to the door, he expected to hear clanking and hammering, among the sounds that one would typically expect from a workshop of sorts. Instead, there was silence.

Sora cocked his head to one side. That was strange. He grasped the handle and opened the door. Stepping in, the wind blew the door shut.

There was a minimal amount of light, mostly concentrated on the center. The room inside seemed a lot longer than the outside would have made it appear to be. It was just one long hallway with each side in shadow.

Sora cautiously stepped forward, his footsteps echoing on the stone floor. He tried looking around, but nearly everything was in shadow. That is, until a light shone on a small plaque in front of a statue hidden in the dark. Crouching down, he read it.

"'Arlene: Good Girls go to heaven, but the bad girls go everywhere.'" He read aloud "What does that mean?"

Maybe if he'd seen the statue, it would have become clearer. But he didn't, as a light then shone on the plaque next to it.

"'Lumaria: Counting flowers on the wall, that don't bother me at all.'" He read as he looked over at that one. Once again, it made no sense. The statue above that was hidden in darkness too, but for that one he could make out a long, staff like weapon in its hand.

_Could it be…_he thought as he concentrated on the hidden statue _Nah. It couldn't._

And he moved on as a light shone on yet another plaque. And whenever he was done with one, another light went up over the one next to it. The words on each plaque read:

_Dorul: Do you want to play?_

_Myde: And when you really, really need it the most, that's when rock and roll dreams come through._

_Ïas: Listen in awe and you'll hear him bark at the moon!_

_Ienzo: Welcome to the grand illusion, come on in and see what's happening._

_Aeleus: No one could ever change this animal I have become._

_Even: And here in the night, as I feel the inferno, I stare in the dark, thinking what is eternal?_

_Dilan: Here I am, rock you like a hurricane._

"'Braig,'" Sora said aloud on the second to last plaque "'Roll me over and set me free; a Cowboy's life is the life for me.'"

As he read each name, he couldn't shake the feeling that he had encountered the namessomewhere before. The feeling grew stronger as he made his way further down the line. He couldn't quite recall where he had seen them before, but he knew that those last five names were definitely familiar.

Then it hit home as he read the name on the final plaque.

"'Xehnie: Behold the king! The King of Kings.'" Said Sora aloud "Xehnie, Xehnie, where have I heard that name be…fore…"

His mouth dropped as he finally pieced it together. He ran down the names that he'd just read in his mind, added an X to each and tripped backwards as the full immensity of the realization hit him.

"The Organization!" he exclaimed and one by one, the statues of each member were illuminated.

**XIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIII**

"_I need a respirator, cuz I'm running out of breath. Oh, you're an all night generator wrapped in stockings and a dress. When you find your medicine you take what you can get. Cuz if there's something better baby, well they haven't found it yet!_"Blared the stereo, as Rutonfex and Nazro sat in the hot tub within his private bathroom. Scattered around the tub were the clothes that they had been wearing earlier. At least for Rutonfex. For Nazro, only her bathrobe and slippers laid around.

"Could you turn up the heat a little?" Rutonfex asked he leaned over the side of the hot tub to pick up his champagne glass.

"Sure." Replied Nazro. Her normally pale blue eyes turned orange and more steam rose from the tub.

Rutonfex leaned back in it.

"Ahhhh," he said "Much better darling."

She beamed at him. While her sister had received power over all things frozen, Nazro had received power over heat. But she showed it in a different way. While Azrol only had to move a hand and have a snowflake dance for her, Nazro's eyes would turn a bright orange and suddenly whatever she wanted would boil, melt, burn, or just plain burst into flames. And she had power over them too. Much like the ice that danced for Azrol, she could make the fire dance for her. But for these powers, it was unknown why her eyes changed color. It wasn't as though the irises changed. The entire eye changed from its normal pale blue irises and white cornea, to a pupilless orange mass in her eye sockets. Even with the cause unknown, it was still pretty intimidating. At least that's what Rutonfex told her.

"Now isn't this a nice change of pace?" the Artisan said as he waded over to her and put his arm around her shoulder.

"Oh yeah." She grinned "We could, you know, change it up even more?"

Rutonfex, with a smile on his face, turned his head to the side.

"How so?"

"How long can you hold your breath?" asked Nazro, her smile growing bigger.

Rutonfex chuckled and took a deep breath as his head disappeared under the water.

Unfortunately, just as he was really getting into it, the phone on the stand next to the tub rang. Nazro reached over and pressed the speaker button.

"Yes? Can I (oh!) help (oh oh!) you?" she said.

"Nazro?" said Balosufuz on the other side "Where's Rutonfex?"

"He's (God yes!) right here!" and she pulled the Artisan up by the hair.

"What?" he said spitting out some water.

"Phone." Replied Nazro pointing to it.

"What is it Azreal?" said Rutonfex impatiently "Things were getting pretty good over here."

"It's Balosufuz sir." Was the response.

"Then where the hell is Azreal? Wait, don't answer." Rutonfex did a mental scan of the building for his discovery. He found him in Azrol's room. He chuckled to himself.

"Alright, he's excused for now. At least he was intelligent enough to get you to cover for him." Returning to a serious tone, Rutonfex said "Now, why are you calling now? Why do you have to interrupt my…leisure time?"

Nazro giggled at that line. Rutonfex cracked a smile in return. Well, what else was he going to call it?

"It's the kid sir. He managed to stumble into your…memorial."

The Artisan's face fell. One day as a lark, he decided to make a little memorial to his fallen members. Nothing more than for shits and giggles. Of course, since he knew from the get go that the kid was going to be spending some time in the main house, so of course he couldn't have built in there. So, he put in a shed just outside the house.

"Well, how'd he get in there?" he snapped angrily. His plan was now starting to fall apart and it would take some quick thinking to put it back together.

"From what I can gather, he believed that the shed was where his ship was being fixed. He wandered in there and just got to reading your little, ah hem, epitaphs. He didn't put two and two together until the final one. Then the lights came on and proved him right."

"Where is he now?" yelled Rutonfex. This really would require some quick thinking.

"Let me check the cameras." There was a slight pause "Ok, he's running back towards the house. Luckily, the snow is slowing him down."

"Alright, alright." Replied Rutonfex "Change of plans everybody. Balosufuz, begin lockdown procedures. Make sure the other kids are out of the way. Do it immediately, then meet me downstairs."

"Got it." And there was a click as he hung up the phone.

Rutonfex turned to Nazro.

"Sorry baby. Date's over."

"Fuck." She said "The kid royally screwed us, huh?"

"As I guy I know once said 'my chocolate empire is melting.'"

Nazro raised an eyebrow in a curious fashion.

"Yeah, I know." Replied Rutonfex climbing out of the tub and making a bathrobe and towel appear in his hands. He put on the robe and began to towel his hair "Not really applicable to our situation. Somewhat. Anyway, get dressed. We've got to move fast if we want to salvage this plan."

**XIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIII**

Through the snow, he ran. He ran as fast as he possibly could. But it wasn't fast enough. They had to figure out a way out of this madhouse, because if this guy had any connection to the Organization…well, he didn't want to stick around long enough to find out.

Sora didn't know what he'd expected when he found out that the shed out back contained, not the workshop where his ship was being fixed, but a memorial of sorts to his greatest foes. Because of the way the names were placed, which he believed were their true names, he hadn't figured it out until the very end, when he found himself looking at the one name he'd never forget: Xehanort.

Well, more accurately, the plaque said "Xehnie" but it was obvious what that was short for. When the statues themselves appeared, all doubt was put out of his mind who they were.

So, he ran. He had to reach Riku and Kairi. Get them out of here. Somehow. Maybe there was an emergency Gummi of sorts that could get them out of there.

But as his thoughts turned to Riku, he realized that he was right to suspect the people here. Sora was now sure that they were up to something. After all, who keeps a memorial to heartless beings who wished to tear reality asunder with their mad quest? Definitely not people on the side of light.

Of course, maybe it was just an odd coincidence. But too many of those had happened. First they get a message from the King, which led them to the area of space around this World, which led to a massive ice storm, which downed the ship and brought them to the Hotel California.

With the thousands of thoughts running through his head, Sora thought he may have figured out what that name meant. He remembered that it was the name of some weird song. But how did the song end?

"You can check out anytime you like." He said under his breath as he kept running "But you can…" His eyes lit up with realization "But you can never leave!"

He said that right as he stood at the massive door to the house. A big clue had sat in front of his face the entire time and he hadn't even realized it. He didn't think anyone had. After all, who had really heard of that song? Evidently the people behind this place.

Sora opened the door and ran in. As he made his way to the stairs, he was knocked over by a massive sound wave and had slide towards the door.

When he lifted his head, he saw the butler from when he arrived the day before standing in the corner with a smirk on his face.

The Keyblader got up again, but was knocked down from another wave. Since he saw it, he noticed that it emanated from the butler.

He got up once again and when the wave traveled towards him, he jumped over it and made his way to the stairs. Just as he was about to climb them, a massive wall of fire stood in front of them. He turned around and found himself in the center of a circle of fire.

"Gotcha now." A female voice said and from the center of the flames, the maid, who was just wearing a bathrobe and slippers, stepped out, her eyes glowing a bright orange.

"What do you want?" Sora exclaimed "What is going on? Where's Riku and Kairi?"

"Your friends are quite safe." Said an unfamiliar voice behind him "Unfortunately, I can't say the same for you."

Sora turned around and saw someone he hadn't seen previously in the house. The man was of an average build, not too broad in the shoulders and was also just wearing a bathrobe. His face was angular, framed by long scraggly hair that fell to his shoulders and with a black goatee that framed the edges of his mouth and made his smile all the more severe.

"I would have rather done this a little more tactfully, but dire straights and all that." He said walking forward towards the Keyblader "Please allow me to introduce myself, the name's Rutonfex, formally Number IX of the Organization, now a free lancer with big ideas of my own."

His smile grew wider.

"Over in the corner is my terrific assistant Balosufuz, the Great Beast." He said as he pointed to the man in the corner "Master of the sound waves. And this little beauty," he said walking over to the woman "is Nazro, the Fire Witch."

"Well what do you want?" asked Sora. He tried to summon his Keyblade, but found that he couldn't.

"Simply put, you." Said Rutonfex "Oh, and the reason you can't get your precious little Keyblade is because I won't let you. I've got a mental lock on that part just make sure you don't get cute." Snapping his fingers, he pointed to the stairs "Let's go."

Nazro cleared away the flames covering it and they began to walk up. With barely any control over his own legs, Sora followed.

"And yes, I've got you under my control. Again, making sure that things move smoothly." He said without turning around "I had hoped that things would be better if we'd allowed this to play out, but desperate times and all. So, hurry along. We've got a lot of work to do."

_So Riku was right after all_ thought Sora as he unwillingly marched towards what he assumed was certain doom. If only they hadn't been traveling. But wait, if he had plans then did that mean…

"To answer your question," continued Rutonfex, his head still facing front "I planted that letter from the King. As far as the Universe is concerned, there's nothing wrong that needs righted. Everything is hunky dory. For now. But when I'm done…" And he began to laugh. It was an incredibly discomforting one, a deep rumbling baritone coming deep from within the chest.

He kept laughing as they made their way up the next flight of stairs. Soon, they stood under a trapdoor. Rutonfex pulled on it and a ladder emerged.

"Up you go." He said with a smile as he moved his hand like a puppet master and Sora's arms and legs moved up the ladder.

When he reached the top, he realized that he was in the tower that he had seen outside. There wasn't much up here. Only a few beds, one that was stained with…blood. A tray full of surgical tools stood next to it, they too covered in blood. What was going to happen up here?

He moved out of the way, as if he had any other choice, as Rutonfex and Nazro came up the ladder.

"Let's begin." He said and Sora unwillingly moved towards the bloodstained bed and then laid down in it. "Nurse, prep the patient."

Nazro went to Sora and took some shackles down off the wall. Without a word, he clamped them shut on Sora's wrists. Then she moved to the end of the bed and took out another pair of shackles, this time clamping them around his ankles.

"Thank you Nurse." Said Rutonfex as he walked towards the restrained Keyblader. She just smiled and walked off to the other end of the room.

"Now I bet you're wondering what all this is about." He continued "Well since you're here, I might as well tell you. I've got a plan you see. A good one. One that will bring order to this chaotic universe of ours. But I can't do it with the people I currently have. They lack something that I desperately need for this to work. And fortunately for me you have it."

"Lucky me." Sora said sarcastically "So that's why you lured us down here? So you can get something from me? What do Riku and Kairi have to do with it?"

"Well, nothing." He replied "But I knew you wouldn't come with they didn't. Besides, I was going to use them to get you to drop your guard around me so I'd get you here much easier. But _c'est la vie._ I've already got you where I want you, so their presence is a bit extraneous. But once I'm done here, you're all free to go."

"What are you going to do?" Sora shouted "What is it that I've got that you need?"

Rutonfex smiled and said only a single word before going over to where Nazro was. "Roxas."

"What?" Sora said he tried to jump from the bed. The shackles kept him strapped in. "What do you need him for?"

"Nobodies got to stick together." Responded Rutonfex as he pulled a pair of surgical gloves on.

"Yeah, but we rejoined about a month ago. He's pretty much, well, me now."

"Not for long." Replied the Artisan as he walked over to the bed "You see, I figured out a way to create Nobodies without the nonsense of extreme emotional distress or stepping through a Door to Darkness. Now, pop quiz: what sets Nobodies apart from all other creatures?"

"The lack of a Heart." Answered Sora as he struggled against the chains. He wished he could have summoned his Keyblade, but evidently the Nobody's hold on him was still in effect.

"Bingo!" smiled Rutonfex "So, what do I need to remove in order to make a Nobody? Why, a Heart of course!"

Nazro came up to him and handed him a surgical mask. With the smile still on his face, he put it on.

"So you're going to remove my heart?!" exclaimed Sora "You're going to kill me is what you're going to do!"

"'Fraid not." Replied the Nobody "I found that once the Heart is removed, a dose of pure Nobody blood pumped in kickstarts the body and viola! A Nobody is born. Of course, technically, you'll be dead for 19 minutes before Roxas appears. And then it's him who's here not you."

"So you are going to kill me!"

"Probably." He shrugged "If your past is any indication, your 'friendship' with those two idiots downstairs will make sure that your Heartless turns back into little old you. But in the case you should die…well, then the experiment was a failure and my plans are ruined."

He turned to face Nazro.

"So if this doesn't work, I'm sorry I removed your Heart for nothing."

"It wasn't nothing!" she said as she put on her own surgical mask "All this power! It's…it's amazing!"

"Well that's good. And I don't think Balosufuz or Azrol will care either. But let's make sure that this is a success!"

"Don't I get some anesthesia?" Sora exclaimed as he fought harder than ever to get free.

"Unfortunately," Nazro said as she handed Rutonfex a scalpel "No. You have to be conscious while we do this. We don't know what knocking you out would do. Besides, it's not all bad. I went through it and I'm fine!"

Sora didn't say anything. He just struggled harder, but in the end it was no use. They had him. Despair was setting in.

"Yes, yes." Rutonfex said with a laugh "You're making it easier! Nurse, get his shirt off!"

Nazro took a pair of scissors and cut a seam along the inside of his shirt. Then, she pulled it off. Sora laid there bare-chested on the table.

"Excellent." Said Rutonfex taking the scalpel close to the Keyblader's chest "Now we can begin."

He dug the scalpel into the flesh. Sora screamed as he cut. The pain was unbearable. He wished he could have passed out from the pain, but he wouldn't. He remained awake to witness the entire thing.

When Rutonfex finished and a gaping hole appeared in the chest of the Keyblader. Nazro handed him a clamp of sorts. Sora closed his eyes, for he didn't want to see what was going to happen next. All he heard was snapping. By this time, the pain had reached a level so great, that he was practically feeling nothing. But it didn't last too long, as he heard his ribs breaking one by one. And to top it off, the madman performing this procedure was singing!

"When a man's an empty kettle, he should be on his mettle, and yet I'm torn apart. Just because I'm presumin' that I could be kinda human, if I only had a Heart." he finished snapping the ribs and put the clamps away. Nazro then handed him another scalpel, and he worked to pin back the skin flaps. Rutonfex stuck his hand inside the chest and begin to feel around.

"I'd be tender, I'd be gentle," he continued singing, as his arm went elbow deep into Sora's chest. He could feel him working about in there. "And awful sentimental, regarding love and art. I'd be friends with the sparrows and the boy who shoots the arrows…"

And then Sora's consciousness faded away as the last thing he saw was Rutonfex pulling his Heart out of his chest and singing "If I only had a Heart!"

**XIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIII**

"Alright, get the IV." Rutonfex said as he carefully laid the Heart on another bed "We're not done yet."

Rutonfex looked at the mangled body that lay before him. And he was ecstatic that the first part of the main phase of his plan had worked.

"We did Nazro. We did it!" he said as she wheeled the IV over. Rutonfex took one of the needles and stuck it into the dead boys arm. Taking another one, he rolled back his sleeve and stuck it in there. Purplish blood traveled up from it and into the arm of Sora. When enough had traveled, he pinched the tube and removed it from his arm.

"Well, let's sew him up." He said removing the other needle when the last drop went in.

Silently, they went about the work. The ribs were carefully taped up. They would heal quickly, once they got a Hyper-Potion in him. As they were doing that, they noticed the dark mass that was where the Heart should have been growing.

"It begins." Rutonfex said in an awed whisper. Nazro stared transfixed at it. So that was what was inside her instead of a Heart.

"Nazro," said Rutonfex snapping her back to attention "We've only got about 5 minutes, so I'd like him to awake to a sewn up body."

"Got it!" she said and she took thread and a needle and went about sewing him up. Soon, he would have a long vertical scar running down his chest, just like her, her sister, and Balosufuz. They had all gone through the procedure. Nazro had faced it with gritted teeth every step of the way. The pain had been so unbearable that for a moment, she wished that she had stayed dead, as not to feel it again. She didn't know how the others had gone through it. Balosufuz had gone first and she was recuperating while her sister went through it. But the memories were painful enough. She didn't want to dredge them up with those two. Besides, the power she gained from the procedure more than made up for the pain that had gone along with the operation.

_Must be what childbirth is like_ she thought as she sniped the thread. The operation was over. She removed the shackles and went over to Rutonfex, who was now standing away from the bed. Now they just had to wait for the transformation.

"Ch-ch-changes, turn and face the strain, ch-ch-changes." Sang Rutonfex softly as he looked at the clock on the wall "Don't wanna be a richer man."

Then they noticed something. The dead form that was Sora began to glow somewhat. While the face and body type remained the same, the hair began to change. It became shorter and less spiky, as it changed from the medium brown of Sora into the dirty blonde that was Roxas.

"Yes!" Rutonfex shouted as he threw his hands in the air "It worked! Yes, yes, yes!"

Nazro suppressed a laugh as he began to dance around the room. Neither one of them noticed that on the bed where they had placed Sora's heart, the sleeping form of Sora had appeared. It seemed that Rutonfex had been right. Sora would always find a way to be somewhat whole, no matter what.

But this was no longer about him. For any second now, Roxas was about to awaken.

**XIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIII**

His eyes opened slowly. The first thing that came to him was the sharp pain in his chest.

"Ah." He winced as he tried to sit up. But when he did, he noticed that he wasn't in any place that he knew.

"Good morning starshine!" a strange masculine voice said. Roxas looked over in his direction. Standing next to each other in blood covered bathrobes and surgical masks were two people, a man and a woman.

"What's going on?" he asked pain emanating from his chest "Where am I?"

"You're with your new family." The woman said as she removed her surgical mask.

"How did I get here? The last thing I remember was standing before a pod of some sort and then…nothing else."

"Well, I can explain that." Said the man, also removing his surgical mask, revealing a goatee and a broad smile "You see Roxas, you were rejoined with Sora over there." He pointed at the unconscious form on the bed "And well, it wasn't a perfect one. His personality and memories took over and well, you were nothing more than a bad dream at the back of his head."

"Then how did I get here?" he said scratching his head "And why does my chest hurt?"

"Since it wasn't a perfect joining," the woman said going up to him and sitting down on the bed "You were in danger of drifting off into non-existence. We couldn't allow that."

"Are you with the Organization?" it was a legitimate question. After all, they had been trying to subdue and capture him before he rejoined with Sora. They needed him, but he didn't need them. He had to find the answers that they weren't giving him.

The man chuckled.  
"No, no. We're not affiliated with them in anyway. The only similarities between us and them are that we're also human-looking Nobodies. I'm Rutonfex and this is Nazro."

"Hi." He said giving them a weak wave "So, what am I doing here? What happened?"

"We brought you back." The woman, Nazro he had said her name was, said "You're among your own kind once again."

"Uh huh." The Key of Destiny said "Well, I don't know what's going on. As usual. But…I don't know."

"It's alright Roxas." Said Rutonfex "The Organization didn't give you any answers. That little memory witch didn't give you answers, the real Ansem didn't give you answers. Hell, your best friend El…I mean Axel didn't even give you the answers you needed. But, I promise you, we will."

"Well, that's all I needed to hear." Replied Roxas sarcastically "Here I am sitting half naked in a strange building with an incredible pain in my chest listening to some strangers going on about how they brought me back! Well that's just super!"

Rutonfex's smile dropped. "Listen," he said walking up towards him "I need you. You're a vital part of my plan."

Roxas rolled his eyes. "I was a vital part of the Organization's plans too. I didn't want to be with them, so why should I stick with you?"

"Because I can give you everything you ever want. Answers. I hold power over Mind. With a snap of my fingers, all the memories you want can be yours. I can give you companionship. I can help you reach your full potential. The Organization only taught you how to wield your weapons, but did they ever teach you how to use your element? No. They just needed the hearts you'd unlock. Nothing more. They didn't care about you. Only your keyblades and what it could mean to them. As for me, well, I view my little group of Nobodies as a family. With that, we can give you want you really want most of all: unconditional and universal love and acceptance."

Roxas was speechless. This man, this Nobody, had pretty much told him everything he wanted to hear. And the eerie thing was, he believed him. He believed every word that he said.

With a smile Roxas said "Where do I sign?"

**XIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIII**

Kairi paced nervously in her room. What was going on? All she had been doing was passing by the study and finding it odd to hear music coming from there when no one was present. Then, the butler came and forced her back into her room with no explanation. He just moved right in, and began shoving until she was in the bedroom that, Frank he said his name was, had given to her.

What was going on? Where was Sora? Where was Riku? Was something the matter?

All these thoughts ran through her head. Could Riku have been right about something being up? Was something finally going down?

All these questions and no answers. It was maddening.

While she was fretting, she didn't notice that a portal to darkness had opened up behind her. A hooded figure that was about her height stepped out of it. As soon as she heard the footstep, Kairi turned around.

"Sora?" she said hopefully.

"Not quite." The figure said in a somewhat similar, yet somehow different voice. He lowered his hood and while the face was definitely Sora, the hair wasn't.

"Who are you?" she asked, a little nervously.

The stranger just smiled. "Sora. Or at least, a part of him. I'm called Roxas."

"Roxas?" said Kairi "Sora's Nobody?"

"The very same." He said with a bow.

"If you're here, than that means…" her voice trailed off "What happened?"

"I was freed from the dungeon that was his mind. Well, to be technical, his Heart was freed from me."

"Where is he?" she snapped tackling the Nobody to the bed "I swear if any of you harmed him…"

Roxas just smiled. "Relax. He's fine. Just like he was when his Heart was first released and I came into existence. Once again, his ties to you and," he laid as much scorn as he could in his voice "_Him_ have brought him back. He should be alright in a while."

"Why did you do this?" asked Kairi as she released him "Why?"

"It wasn't me." He said walking away from the bed "It was him." He pointed up "It's all part of this plan you see. And well, your part is finished. I was just sent here to tell you that you're free to go! Have a nice day!"

A portal to darkness opened up and a pair of arms popped out holding the unconscious Sora. Roxas grabbed him and laid him on the bed.

"There you go." He said dusting his hands "You've got my other. My work is done."

He was about to step through the portal when the door fell off its hinges. Standing in the doorframe was Riku, his Keyblade drawn and pointed right at the Nobody.

"Not one step." He said walking forward.

Roxas just continued to smile.

"Well hello there. Long time no see." The Nobody said "You got lucky there at the end you know. If it wasn't for all that extra darkness within…"

"Shut it!" he yelled "Where's Sora?"

"Right there." Roxas motioned towards the bed "He'll be unconscious for a while, but other wise he'll be fine. After all, since I have his body, I have the scar."

"Just shut up!" shouted Riku "Were you in on this the entire time? Did you subtly manipulate Sora into coming here?"

"Why no!" replied Roxas "I've been locked away in the deep corners of his mind. I didn't know that I would be standing here. And besides, you all went because you got fooled by that bogus letter from the King. I might add that that was a pretty clever move on Rutonfex's part."

"Who?" Riku said, his Keyblade still pointed at Roxas.

"The mastermind behind this entire plot and the reason I'm standing here before you. Now, I don't have much time to talk, so here's the lowdown; there's a Gummi ship, which works, waiting for you outside. Take Sora and leave. Go back to the Destiny Islands and live your life. Never bother us again."

"After tricking us and what happened to Sora?" exclaimed Riku "I don't think so."

"Oh you better do what the boy says Riku." A droll voice said from within the portal "After all, I don't think you can draw upon enough darkness to defeat both him and me."

From the portal, Rutonfex stepped out.

"I just can't have you interfering in my plans. And with my boy Roxas here, they can finally come to fruition. Now go out to the Gummi ship like a good little boy. Take the girl and Sora and go back to the Islands. There is nothing you can do, so I'm giving you a chance to save yourselves. I have no further need of you. GO!"

And outside of their control, Kairi and Riku picked up Sora and left the room. Rutonfex smiled as he heard their footsteps going carefully down the stairs. Finally, a plan had come together. Sure, it didn't enfold the way he'd actually planned it, but ends justifies the means right? Of course.

He looked out the window and saw two specks carrying another to a ship.

"Ahh, things are looking good Roxas. Things are looking good." He said patting the boy on the head.

"Well, thanks." Replied Roxas "What now?"

"Come with me." And together they stepped into the portal to darkness.

**XIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIII**

Azrol couldn't remember a time that she'd been happier. Well, since her happiness was a memory at least according to the man now known as Azreal, then this would have to be the new standard bearer.

With the blast from her past, she laid upon her bed just looking up at the ceiling.

"It's just amazing." She said rolling over on her side to look her friend in the face "What were the odds?"

"I don't know." He replied "But the stars were just aligned right you know? I mean, who knew that we'd find each other after so long and then…well, you know."

"Yeah." She replied as she curled up next to him "I do."

Azreal placed his hand around his former friend, now lover. Things were going good.

That is until there was a loud banging on the door.

"Hey Azrol! Azreal! Rutonfex wants everybody in the study right now!" came the sound of Balosufuz shouting from the other side of the door.

The two looked at each other.

"What now?" he said he put his hood back on.

"Probably nothing too important." Replied Azrol getting up from the bed "Probably just wants to brag about how many times he's nailed my sister."

"Well, well," said Azreal, a smile growing on his face, as his mouth was the only part that was visible when his hood was up "Incredibly depressed and angry to completely nonchalant. It must be my influence."

"Might be." She responded with a giggle. The two of them exited the room and made their way down the stairs and into the study. When they got there, Nazro was standing off to one side, looking completely full of herself.

_Jesus what a whore_ Azrol thought as she entered the room. Balosufuz stood in the other corner and Rutonfex was talking to someone who was sitting in a chair with its back to everyone.

"All right man." Azreal said "What do you need us for?"

"Ahh, good." The Artisan said "My big happy Nobody family is all here. Well Azreal, what I need you for is to show you this."

He turned the chair around and the last person Azreal ever thought would be sitting there was.

The color drained from what could be seen of his face and he ran from the room.

"What's with him?" Roxas asked Rutonfex.

"There are more than two things wrong with Azreal." Rutonfex replied with a smile "But oh well. I didn't really need him for this anyway. I'll just keep him as my wild card."

"Now everybody," he began "As you can see, the plan I had created for the kids is complete. Sure, we're a few days ahead of schedule, but I'm fine with that. And so ladies and gentlemen, I introduce to you, Roxas! The Key of Destiny!"

"Hi." He said with a wave.

"Now you've already met Nazro." Rutonfex continued "So, here's the others. The charming young lady with the blonde hair is Azrol, Nazro's sister. And over there is my first recruit, Balosufuz. And that fellow who ran from the room is the guy I found before you, Azreal. So, together, we're one big happy Nobody family. Each of us has a power. I control Mind and all that comes with it. Mind control, telepathy, and creating constructs with a thought. Balosufuz, the Great Beast as I call him, wields the element of Sound. Sonic booms, sonic waves, sonic anything. He's complete and total devastation."

"Now for the twins," Rutonfex continued "They have some powers you maybe familiar with. Azrol, the Queen of the Winter Night, controls all things Cold. Just use your imagination for that one. Same goes for Nazro, my Fire Witch, who as you could probably guess, has Heat. Again, just use your imagination."

"What about Azreal?" Roxas asked. There was something about that guy that was a little too familiar to him.

"He's just my wild card." Answered Rutonfex with a smile "Now together, with you included, we can begin my real plan. And we shall do it as…Cognito. Yes I rather like the sound of that. The Cognito Group."

**XIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIII**

In an unknown, back water world, the crowds gathered in the central square as a massive hologram appeared in front of them. A group of five cloaked individuals hovered in front of them. The one standing in the center began to speak.

"Greetings and salutations!" he said and he lowered his hood to reveal a young man with long dark hair and a goatee "My name is Rutonfex and I am the leader of Cognito. What is Cognito you ask? We are a group of Nobodies dedicated to bringing order to this universe. And we cannot be stopped. As I speak, lesser Nobodies are swooping in on your worlds to conquer it for me. I am your new Emperor. All must bow and offer praise unto me!"

The crowd gasped. What was going on? It had only been a month since there was another great universal threat and now there was suddenly another one?  
"Don't try to resist. We Nobodies are some the most powerful beings in existence. We are without strong emotion, so we can act efficiently and quickly. But it isn't all negative. By my taking control, commerce can be opened up! I can reopen the lanes between worlds. Gummi ships will be more readily available. Wealth and prosperity will follow and all that I ask is that you offer praise to me and my associates. Welcome, to the dawn of a new age."

The hologram flickered out of sight. The crowd stood silent. Without a single shot being fired, they had been conquered. Conquered by an egomaniacal maniac who was living in God knows where. But he had a reach that extended across the stars. But he said that he would bring wealth and prosperity and all he asked was to be praised? That didn't seem like that much of a tall order.

Soon, little portals opened up around the square and odd, silvery humanoids emerged from them. They didn't try to attack the crowd. They just stood there.

Maybe, this wasn't that much of a bad thing. Order and wealth? Who could argue with that?

And so, slightly relieved, the crowd dispersed. Save for one man.

This man wore a scarf over his face, as well as a black fedora pulled over his eyes, which were in turn covered by sunglasses, despite the fact that the sun was setting here.

Looking around to make sure that no one else was there, he removed his sunglasses and looked up at the setting sun.

"Nightfall, quietly crept in and changed us all." He said, as the yellow orbs that were his eyes took in the last remaining rays of light.

END OF ACT II

TO BE CONTINUED…

A/N: Woo, that was epic. Now for a lot of notes, as I've got last chapters notes to go over too.

Let's start with the things that need mentioning from last chapter. Well, the only thing that really does is the song that Rutonfex sings to Nazro which is _Good Old Fashioned Loverboy _by Queen. And Azrol's "I ain't changed" line, which is from _One Headlight_ by the Wallflowers.

Now onto this chapter. First, here's the songs that were referenced this chapter. There are quite a lot of them. In order, they are _Good Girls Go to Heaven (Bad Girls Go Everywhere)_ by Meat Loaf, _Flowers on the Wall _by Eric Heatherly, _Play With Me_ by Extreme, _Rock and Roll Dreams Come Through_ by Meat Loaf, _Bark at the Moon_ by Ozzy Osbourne, _The Grand Illusion_ by Styx, _Animal I Have Become_ by Three Days Grace, _What is Eternal_ by Trans-Siberian Orchestra, _Rock You Like a Hurricane_ by Scorpions_, Cowboy Song_ by Thin Lizzy, _King of Kings _by Motorhead, _Bad Medicine_ by Bon Jovi, _If I Only Had a Heart_ from the Wizard of Oz and _Changes _by David Bowie. Woo.

And so, we reach the end of Act II. Act III is next and boy do I have some good ideas for that.

As for any factual errors during the surgery, just remember; I'm a History/Drama Studies major. I don't know surgery. Even though prior to finishing this, I watched _Scrubs_ for about two days straight. And well actually, most of the work was done today on this chapter. I started from the section with Rutonfex and Nazro in the Hot tub and worked from there til the end.

So enjoy this. I gotta get some rest before I bust out Act III.

Good night everybody!

The Magnificent Tim Fortune 11/14/08 1:06 AM


	16. Nightfall

**Tim Fortune**

**Presents**

**KINGDOM HEARTS: COGNITO**

**Act III Scene I: Nightfall**

_**Four Months Later…**_

He stood on the shore, the waves lapping at his feet. But instead of the bright sunshine of this tropical paradise, the moon shone down. There was no wind to rustle the palms and everything was silent. Save for the waves that crashed upon the shore.

It was if all hope had died and in a way, it did. At least within him.

It had been four months since his ordeal in the Hotel California and he was no where near where he was before it. Sure, he had recovered physically, but mentally…the scars ran deeper there.

He emerged from his coma only two months prior. And as soon as he did, he wished that he had returned or had died. Anything was better than facing what reality held now.

Rutonfex and his cronies had managed to subjugate most of the universe. Armed bands of Dusks patrolled the streets and no one wanted to get the worst of them. You couldn't reason with them. Once they had made their minds up, there was no going back. Emotion didn't register with them. Dissenters were immediately carried off to some unknown location. And no one ever heard from them again.

Oh yes. There was order alright. But it came at a cost.

Fear kept the populace in line. It varied from World to World about how much was used. In Worlds under the control of Azrol for example, things were relatively calm. She kept her people happy and they in turn didn't rebel in any way.

But, in the Worlds under her sister Nazro, things were quite different. The populace was so afraid of her that it was as if a pall had fallen over the regions. Especially since she was prone to coming down on dissidents herself.

But for the plethora of bad that was there, some good had come. Rutonfex had promised wealth and prosperity, and it had come. He opened the lanes between Worlds and Gummi Ships traveled back and forth, World to World, like the sailing ships of old, bringing goods from far distant Worlds into markets for purchase. Many were getting rich. And besides, if you stuck to the status quo and didn't draw too much attention to yourself, you were fine. The Dusks wouldn't bother you.

For most, they just went about their lives, as if nothing special had really happened. Meet the new boss, same as the old boss, that kind of thing. Early on, there was some massive resistance.

The rebuilt world of Radiant Garden fought the hardest. But one by one, its defenders were carted off into the unknown. The Great Wizard who once lived there found that his magic was nearly useless against invaders like these enhanced Dusks, whose ranks seemed to swell after every major attack. He fled to a far back water World where, hopefully, he could emerge when the threat was over. Radiant Garden soon became just another World under occupation. Its heroes were gone. No one was left to defend it.

The Sorcerer Yen Sid locked himself up in his tower and tried to find the right spell to counter the invasion. But, since he was still just a man, he had to sleep sometime. And that was when the Sorcerer and Berserker Nobodies got him. He put up a struggle, but in the end, he just couldn't compete against the numbers that were sent against him.

Not all the heroes were taken away. Some defended their homeworlds as best as they could, but eventually, suffered complete military defeat. And so in four months, Rutonfex and the Cognito Group had formed the massive Cognito Star Empire. He had succeeded where Xehanort, his old rival, had failed. The Universe and all its inhabitants were his. And he didn't even need to gain the power Kingdom Hearts supposedly had. The old Heart-shaped Moon played no part in his conquest. Nope, all the Artisan needed was the ignorant populace and an army of Nobodies, both of which were plentiful.

But far away from the areas of combat, in a World that held no importance other than it's residents, the one person most effected by Rutonfex's schemes lived.

He had gone into his house unknowing what was store for him. How could he? It was all planned so perfectly. Fake an important letter, get him out there, crash his ship so he's stranded, and then move in for the kill. Literally. For who knows how long, Rutonfex had claimed only 19 minutes, he had actually been dead. But somehow, he was brought back, but in two separate halves. His real body and soul now resided with that madman and helped him take down all the light in the universe. And his heart, thanks to his deep friendships, reformed itself into a body and stood in the water staring at the cold, unfeeling moon.

The last time something like this had happened, it had happened willingly. To save someone he cared about, he released his Heart. Of course, he didn't know that he had created a Nobody in the process and eventually, he reclaimed his Heart. But he had gone on as if nothing had happened.

But now, he truly felt divided. Maybe it was because of the extreme violation that had happened to him. He had been forced to watch as the madman and his cohort sliced him open and tore out his Heart. And singing while they did it! Singing! That was just literal insult to injury. But it drove home the point of the emotionless Nobody.

Eventually his Heart had reformed into a body, but he laid in a coma for two months. And the world changed around him.

But he changed too.

Even after dealing with the all the battles he'd fought over the past year, he'd retained his basic personality; light and carefree. There was nothing that he couldn't shrug off or make a joke about.

No more. What they had done to him…no. He could no longer be that person he was before. Things were different now.

Almost immediately after waking up from his coma, he grabbed a Gummi ship and went back to the Hotel California to confront that maniac and his cult. But when he arrived there, only the building remained. Everyone and everything was gone. In a rage, he smashed the inside. Barely a wall was standing when he was done. Then, as final piece, he torched it.

Sitting in the snow, he watched it burn to the ground, his eyes transfixed on the flames, as tears ran down his face. They had left. He had asked around, as inconspicuous as possible so not to grab the attention of the Dusks, where the throneworld was. No one knew. They came and went when they pleased. A few of the resistance members had ran into their portals before they closed, but since they were never seen again, the location of Cognitos home base remained unknown.

So he returned to his homeworld. For the first time, he felt that he had actually lost. He felt that there was no surprise victory right around the corner. He had lost. And that madman in some far away world was laughing. Laughing his head off, for he had won.

No one could understand what he'd been through. His friends? Hardly! Had they ever had their still beating hearts ripped from their chests? No. They hadn't. They couldn't even begin to comprehend the hatred and anger that burned within him. Nor could they understand the emptiness. Part of him had died on that operating table. And he didn't know if he could ever get it back.

And so, he stood in the water, the moon's unfeeling rays shining down on him. He had been the champion of Light and look where it had gotten him.

For the Darkness had set in and who knew when the dawn would finally come? What was he supposed to do now?

Give up, he supposed, but he still needed to fight. After all, who had a stronger reason for hating that smiling madman?

**XIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIII**

In a far off World, in the furthest region of it, a small shack of sorts stood. A generator in the back kept it going with electricity, for it was so far out of the way that no power lines ran to it.

Its owner was an enigma to the people of the nearby town. They rarely saw him leave his cabin, and when they did, he always wore his sunglasses, even if it was dark outside. They didn't think he was blind, for he moved so gracefully, but it was still a little odd.

But they didn't think about him much. If he wanted to live out in the swamps all by himself, that was his business. He never bothered anybody.

But every month or so, someone would disappear without reason. The police were baffled, for no body was ever found. They always found signs of a struggle, but never a body. And every suspect had an airtight alibi.

Most suspected the swamp hermit, but even he could account for his whereabouts. But he was still slightly mistrusted, for the disappearances started happening shortly after he arrived on that world.

He didn't give much fanfare when he arrived. He just showed up, sunglasses still on his face and went to live apart from everyone. That was three years ago. Since the disappearances happened like clockwork, once a month, the people took it in stride. They made jokes about how their enemies would be the next to go and made bets on who was more likely to end up the next victim. But the victims were random. There was no pattern to them. It was as if whatever was doing this just took the first person it came upon.

There were some who claimed to have seen some of the attacks. They said that what they saw was the victim being cornered by a monstrous shape, that was blacker than the blackest shadow, save for two bright yellow eyes and sharp yellow teeth. These were dismissed as hallucinations or drunken recollections. Because, a dark creature with glowing yellow eyes? Preposterous.

But about a year ago, as the news of the Heartless spread, people began looking into the reports of this strange monster. But since no one had ever gotten a good look at the creature, if it even existed, there was no way to tell whether or not they were dealing with a Heartless.

Shortly after, they dismissed it and life went on as normal. After all, it was just one person a month. They could deal with it. Mostly.

This World was one of the first to fall to the onslaught of Cognito. Mainly because it was one of the poorer Worlds and the income that would come from the interstellar trading network would be a benefit to it. And also, the presence of the Dusks kept that creature or murderer at bay.

In the four months since it had fallen under the control of Cognito, not a single person had disappeared. In the previous sense that is. People were disappearing. Mostly dissidents who resisted the Nobody control. The Dusks scooped them up and they were gone. To where? No one knew. No one wanted to know. They wanted to keep it out of their minds. Yes, it was unfortunate, but we don't want to end up like them. Just best we go about our lives, not causing any trouble and giving the Dusks any reason to whisk us away.

The Swamp Hermit had no use for any authority of any kind. In fact, he didn't care for company what so ever.

No one ever ventured onto his land. They just let him live in peace. After all, most were sure that he was the reason behind the disappearances. They didn't want to be the next victim if that was the case.

In his shack, he sat in his easy chair looking at the fire that was burning in his fire place. He didn't have his lights on; only the fire gave off any illumination. The shadows bounced off the walls of books that he kept.

In his gloved hand was a silver revolver. Every so often, he would stare at it with through his sunglasses.

"Looks like I only got two options." He said to himself "Either succumb or die. Both are undesirable, but which is the lesser of two evils? Death? Or the complete loss of individuality?"

He held the revolver up, the firelight reflecting off it. It was an interesting weapon. It never had to be reloaded as it was fired, so long as it was used with its similar companion. He had taken them off some girl in the Farplane, who talked to herself frequently, usually referring to one of her personalities as "Hikiri." She didn't notice him creeping up behind her and lifting the guns off her. From what she had been ranting about, she was on the run from something. He didn't take the time to find out. He just wanted those guns.

And now, one of them could spell the end for him. Well, the end was approaching for him anyway. He could either face the growing darkness and become one with it or kill himself, thus removing him from the equation.

Taking it, he placed it under his chin.

"Looks like death it is then." He murmured as he pulled back the hammer. He was about to pull the trigger when another thought came to him. Something that he had never once considered in all the years of his existence.

"Succumb, die, or…" said the man as he lowered his gun "Rejoin."

He placed the revolver on the table next to him and stood up from his chair.

"Rejoin." He said, rubbing his bearded chin "I never thought it would come to that. But, desperate times and all that…"

He grabbed his coat from the hanger near his door and put on his holster. The revolvers were carefully put in. Then, to his nightstand, where he removed a gold cross. Looking in the mirror, he put it on.

"Lord Jesus, my soul is in your hands." He prayed "I go forth on a mission that could very well fail. But should it succeed, thy will be done. I do this in your name."

Making sure his black leather gloves and sunglasses were on, he stepped out of his cabin. He didn't extinguish his fire. He didn't care if his house burned to the ground. He was never going to return to it again.

He took the road into town, cutting through the swamp. And all the time, he took in the sights of his former home.

"I'm never going to see these again." He chuckled to himself, as he buttoned his beige jacket to make sure that his guns remained hidden. He didn't want to raise the ire of the Dusks. He didn't need their attention.

Soon he came into the town. That was when he realized that he didn't have a plan.

"Oh fuck." He said as the wind blew a newspaper onto his boots. He just left the cabin to accomplish something that was damn near impossible. He needed a plan. He needed…help.

Bending down, he picked the paper off from his feet. That was when he noticed the story.

It was an old off-world paper, printed on a world during a time before Cognito had firmly cemented its control. It talked about the resistance movement that was going on there. But above everything else, it asked "Where was the Keyblade wielding hero?"

Upon reading that, the man smiled. Yes, he had a potential ally there. He could help him achieve his goal.

Of course, since this was strong Cognito territory, he already knew what was going on that kid. He had become reclusive on his own world after torching the Emperor's former home because of what the Emperor had done to him. He had hatred. He had anger. He had a burning desire for revenge. He was…

"Perfect." Said the man as his smile grew larger and was made more unsettling by his dark goatee.

Throwing the paper away, he walked towards the shipyard where all the Gummi ships were. All he had to do was stowaway on one and manage to get to the Destiny Islands. That wouldn't be too hard now would it?

He moved into the shadows and blended in completely. It was one of his many talents. Moving silently in the dark, he found a ship.

Stealthily, he moved into the cargo hold. It shut just as he settled into a comfortable position. Removing his sunglasses, he closed his eyes.

And then he began to dream. And the dream spread right to the people he wanted.

After all, it was a dream in darkness. And darkness was a specialty of his.

Because, above everything else, he was as close to pure darkness as any being that ever existed ever was.

TO BE CONTINUED…

_Filled with anger aflame,  
Our Hearts, full of hate, full of pride,  
__Oh we screamed for revenge!_

_Nightfall,  
Quietly it crept in and changed us all.  
Nightfall,  
Quietly it crept in and changed us all.  
Nightfall,  
Immortal land lies down in agony.  
- _"Nightfall" Blind Guardian

A/N: And here we see the beginning of Act III. This is just a little teaser. What's going to happen will blow your mind.

The title is from the song above. I'm doing a sort of Watchmen thing now. All the chapter titles will be titles or quotes from songs, with the full verse appearing at the end. This was fitting for this chapter, don't you think.

A few other things. If you read carefully, I put a bit of a shout out to FaerieFighter009's story "The Ward of Organization XIII", a very well written fic and the reason why I decided to right this one. Even though we may have some bad blood between us, I still hold her work there in incredibly high regard. Go check it out.

Another thing, I've got 13 people on the alert list for this fic, yet I only receive reviews from 1 person. Don't get me wrong, I completely enjoy her reviews. While she says updates from this uplift her day, her reviews uplift mine.

I'm not doing this for the reviews. But I want to know what you people think. I know you're reading it, maybe. But I want to hear your feedback. So, if you could just take about five minutes and tell me what you thought of it that would be great. Khaos, you just keep doing what you're doing.

And so we move further on. Keep your eyes open for Act III Scene II. Things are going to get interesting.

Good Night!

The Magnificent Tim Fortune 11/16/08 12:29 AM (Yeah, I can never update during the day. All my best writing comes to me at night for some reason. Must be the abstraction that is the darkness.)


	17. The Dawn Above the Winter Moonlight

**Tim Fortune**

**Presents**

**KINGDOM HEARTS: COGNITO**

**Act III Scene II: The Dawn Above the Winter Moonlight**

Falling.

That was happening to him. He was falling. Endlessly falling towards a blackness that couldn't be pierced. It was over whelming. There was no top, there was no bottom. There was just…darkness.

Endless, eternal darkness and he was falling deeper and deeper into it. A bright speck of light could be seen in the distance, but it slowly moved further and further away. Darkness was over taking it.

Soon, he hit what could be construed as a bottom. Save for a shining light in the center, which emanated from the lone speck at the very top of this long, dark tunnel, everything was blackness.

He stood up in the spotlight. He tried to step out of it, but whenever he moved, the light followed with him.

"No matter what," a voice said from the surrounding blackness "The light will always be with you. Do not run from it. Do not embrace the darkness."

"But after what happened…" he shouted back, but was interrupted by the voice.

"All the more reason to stay in the light. The darkness is nothing more than an escape hatch, a coward's way out. True power resides in the light."

"And what if I don't want to stay?" he shot back "What has the light ever done for me? It forced me to be its champion. And I was a back-up! A fallback! It didn't even want me to begin with! It came to me once choice one couldn't cut it!"

"But you answered the call nevertheless." Intoned the voice "And performed admirably. You defeated great evil and made sure that the darkness did not overcome the universe."

"Lot of good it did me." he scoffed "Just a month after the last time, the darkness set in once again. And now it's pretty much endless night."

"Every night has to have a dawn. The sun will rise again. My question to you is, will you rise with it?"

"Why should I?" he shouted "It's obvious that they won. Who can stop them? Nobody, that's who!"

"Despite its grandmaster's thoughts, they are still mortal. The road may be long, but they can be overcome. Remember, hopes and dreams are everlasting. No one can destroy them. Only the dreamer can topple his own dreams."

"I have no dreams." He replied "They died on that operating table. And all hope burned away in the fire of his castle. There's nothing I can do."

"Not if you keep thinking like that." Said the voice, which seemed to be drawing closer "There may be nothing you can do by yourself, but what of your friends? What of your allies?"  
"My friends?" he exclaimed "How could they understand what happened to me? Even if I explained, they'd never get it. And allies? What allies? Every single one of them has already been overtaken by that madman's armies. There's no one left. Face it, hope is dead. The darkness has won."

"If the darkness has truly won," the voice began "Then why does light still shine on you? Victory can still be yours, but you must want it."

"What would be the point?" he slumped down to sit inside the spotlight "Once I take him down, another one will just rise in his place. There really is no point."

"You never hear about darkness breaking through, now do you? No. Darkness falls, but light, light breaks through. Darkness is temporary, light is eternal. Don't turn your back on light. It will never abandon you."

"I think it already did."

And from the darkness, a black arm shot out and pinned him to the ground. He struggled to get free, but the strength was too great.

"You can break through this!" the voice said as the arm pressed harder on his body "Darkness is always broken by light. Just find it within yourself!"

He continued to struggle. It was practically impossible. Then he noticed that slowly, tendrils of blackness from the arm were wrapping around his body.

"Do not succumb to the darkness. Embrace the light!"

And with a determined shout, a beam of pure, white light burst forth from his body. The arm dissipated, the blackness of the tunnel began to clear away.

"You have done well." Said the voice "Too long you have wandered too close to the darkness. Now is the time for you to accept your destiny Sora."

**XIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIII**

The Keyblader shot awake in the sand, the waves lapping up and down on his feet. Apparently, he had just fallen asleep while just staring at the moon above, which still hung in the sky.

Now what did that dream mean? It was similar to the dreams he had had prior to each adventure when he had to combat great evil. But there was just something different about this one. Something he couldn't put his finger on.

Once again, destiny had a role for him. But could he accept it this time?

No. He couldn't. There was no hope of victory. That maniac and his cult had won. They'd taken something from him, something irreplaceable. Something that friendship alone couldn't bring back.

Oh yes, he was fortunate enough that his body could reform, but when it finally did, it was too late to stop them. When he toppled both halves of Xehanort, that madman hadn't even completed his task. And those two battles were the toughest he'd ever faced. What would it be like facing a tyrant who already had all the power he wanted?

"No more hope." He said as a cloud moved over the moon covering what little light it gave "No more point."

What now then? He couldn't be the hero everyone wanted him to be. It was just too much. No. It was easier to just lie back and accept what fate had brought. It wasn't like anything else was going to make him whole again.

Besides, how much did he need abomination that had sided with that evil tyrant? He had gone a year without ever knowing of his existence and had even completed an adventure, all without him. He didn't need him.

But, he was incomplete. Sure, everything was where it was supposed to be and he was as healthy as he could have possibly been, but it still felt like something was missing. Like there was something that his Nobody had that made him into who he was. Even though he had no clue what that something was.

He found his thoughts wandering to the dream. He had found himself crushed by darkness, yet had managed to overcome it with a burst of light. Did that mean that he could defeat Rutonfex and his cronies in Cognito? Was having enough pressure on him enough to make him want to break free?

He didn't know. And this time, there was no one around to even give him clues as to what he should do.

He couldn't go to the King. Rutonfex had thought of everything. Knowing that he and his associates from the Castle would cause trouble for the order that the Nobody wished to instill across the Universe, he used Roxas to seal the world away. Not even the King's Keyblade could undo it. No one knew how. According to some, they had gotten access to secret files on the subject from the Order of Selena. But no matter how they did it, they were trapped on their world and no one could even get in to help them.

Another bright spot taken out of the Universe. Darkness was winning and light was creeping beyond the horizon.

They now faced the literal sunset of the Universe. The dream had said that every night had a dawn, but would come for this? Was eternal nightfall the fate of the Universe now?

Apparently it was.

And as he lay in the sand, he thought he heard his name being called in the distance.

_Sora…_

He wasn't sure, so he just turned his head upward to stare at the vacant sky, where not a single star shined.

_Sora…_

There it was again! There was no wind, so could someone be calling him? He doubted it.

"Sora!"

Kairi's voice, high and melodic came from over a sand dune. Sora ignored it as he just stared at the blank sky.

"There you are!" she yelled as she slid down the dune and ran over to where he laid.

"What?" he said, a little more anger in his voice than there probably should have been.

"What are you doing here?" she asked as she stood over him.

"Resting."

"That it? You're just resting?"

"Yep."

"But aren't you going to do something?"

"About what?" Sora said as he sat up.

"About this Cognito thing!" she exclaimed. After emerging from his coma two months prior, he had spent nearly all his time alone. He didn't want to be with his friends. He just wanted to be…alone.

"What can I do? They won, we lost. It's been four months, you'd think you'd've gotten used to it by now." Sora then stood up and walked away.

"But what about defending the realm of light and all that?" she shouted as he was about to go over the dune.

"Riku can do it." He said without turning his head "After all, the Keyblade wanted him first."

"Riku's gone!" yelled Kairi. That made Sora's head turn.

"What?" he said as he walked back over to the Princess.

"He's gone." She repeated with a bit of a tear "About a week ago he grew fed up with you not doing anything and went off to try and find them and…you know what happens to anyone who tries to fight!"

Sora understood all too well. Any one who attempted to resist the rule of Rutonfex was taken away to some unknown location where they never returned.

"Well, that just proves my point doesn't it?" he replied as he turned away again "The only option now is to just accept it."

Slowly, the sadness left Kairi's face and anger went into it. In her right hand, her Keyblade appeared. Pointing towards Sora, she shouted "Blizzaga!"

He stopped dead in his tracks, his lower body frozen by the spell.

"What was that for?" he exclaimed as he tried to break free.

"You…you…" she tried to speak, but she was just too angry "It's you! You've been doing nothing but mope! That's not the Sora I knew!"

"The Sora you knew is gone." He said, still struggling to get free "He died on that operating table. I'm just the remnants."

Without saying a word, she went up to him, her Keyblade still in her hand and whacked him hard across the face with it. He slumped slightly over in the ice.

"OW! What was _**that**_ for?" he exclaimed as he got up and rubbed his face.

"It was to try and get you back! You've got to stop this broken martyr routine. Remember when you lost your Keyblade? Did you give up then? NO! You blazed on until you got it back.

"I hardly think comparing my heart and soul to my Keyblade…"

"And then when you yourself became a Heartless!"

"That was to save you!" he said and finally realizing it, summoned his own Keyblade. He pointed it at his legs and said "Fira!"

The ice melted and he stepped out.

"This is different! We're not dealing with the final phases of a plan! We're in the time after the plan has been completed!"

"All the more reason to do something!" she shouted "If they hadn't taken your Heart and brought back Roxas you'd have moved as soon as they revealed themselves!"

"You don't understand!" Sora said "They took something from me! It wasn't just my Heart, Body, and Soul. It was…something else. I don't know what it is, but it's gone. I don't even think I could face him even if I went for it. And what would happen if I had to fight Roxas?"

"You have to stop worrying about these things." Said Kairi as she walked over to Sora.

"I…" he hung his head "I can't. Every time I close my eyes, I see his smiling face as he leans over and takes out my Heart. Do you know what it's like to see your chest being ripped open and your own beating Heart removed? And to be conscious while it's happening? You don't. The only ones who do are those freaks that work for him. And they adore him! They'd die for him! So, if I wanted him, I'd have to go through them. And they might be ten times more dangerous than the Organization! Especially that one woman who was with him. She seemed like she'd be capable of anything. And then there's his power! Mind! I'd be doomed the minute I stepped into his presence. There's just no point in fighting."

For a while, Kairi said nothing. The two of them just stared at the ocean, as the waves crashed on the shore. No moon or stars shone above them.

"Sometimes when a cause is lost, it makes whoever's fighting for it fight harder." She said softly after some time had passed "After all, what else can you lose?"

Sora lifted his head to stare at the blank sky. What else could he lose?

"Riku…" he began, but Kairi interrupted him.

"Riku did what he thought was right." She said "He knew what could've happened if he went and fought, but he still went. Because he knew that he had too. He knew that if you weren't going to stand up to them, then it was up to him."

"Then he made a huge mistake." Sora replied.

"No. He didn't. He would have gone and done 20 times over, with the outcome always the same. It wasn't reason or logic that drove him to do it. It was hope. Hope that he could make a difference."

"Hope." Sora repeated and to himself added "Hopes and dreams are everlasting."

"Yes, hope." Nodded Kairi "It's something that's been lacking around here."

"Hope." Said Sora again as the clouds moved and the moon once shone down "Light. Darkness is temporary. Light is eternal."

"Come again?" asked Kairi as she looked at him.

"I just had a dream, like the ones I had before." Replied Sora "I was in a long dark tunnel, nothing but darkness. And I was alone in a single beam of light that came from a distant speck at the top. A voice told me to embrace the light, for it's the only thing that can defeat darkness."

"It is you know." Added Kairi.

"I knew that." Answered Sora "But over these past two months, I didn't want to think it. So much darkness was seeping in, that it seemed like light was going out forever. That was in the dream too. I was being crushed by a massive hand made out of darkness and it slowly began to wrap itself around me. The more I struggled, the tighter it squeezed, until, I just cried out. Then light shot out from my body and the darkness left. Maybe, just maybe, I need to shout. I need to make myself heard. I just…need to do something."  
"That's the Sora I knew!" exclaimed Kairi as she threw her arms around him.

"Yeah." He said, cracking a smile for the first time in months "Yeah. That's what I need to do. And if Riku were here, he'd be telling me the same thing. I've got to do something. But what?"

The two remained silent, as over the horizon, the sun began to rise. Meanwhile above them, three Gummi ships circled, trying to find a place to land.

**XIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIII**

He awoke when a loud bang come on the door.

"Who's in there?" a slightly slurred voiced said "Open up I say!"

The man scrambled to put his sunglasses on. He managed to get them on when the door to the cargo hold opened.

In stepped a man. He was dressed, well, like a pirate. His hair was long and rolled into dreadlocks, while he had a long goatee with beads on certain strands. Around his eyes, was a copious amount of eye shadow. Oh yeah, it was pirate.

"Who are you and wot are ya doin' on me ship?" he said, slightly slurring his words "Answer, or I'll blow yer head off!"

"Calm down my good sir!" replied the man getting up from his makeshift sitting place "I am…"

"A stowaway is wot ye are." The pirate said pulling a flintlock pistol from his belt "And Cap'n Jack doesn't take kindly to stowaways."

"Well, then I just may have to rectify that." The stranger reached into his pocket and pulled out a black bag "Here. I would like to purchase passage on your fine vessel to the Destiny Islands."

"How much is in the bag?" the pirate asked grabbing it from his hand.

"A substantial amount I can assure you."

The pirate, Captain Jack he said his name was, dumped the contents of the bag on a nearby crate. Soon, the top of it glittered with gold.

"Well I'll be!" Jack said transfixed on the gold "Yessir, this'll do quite nicely."

He quickly scooped the contents back into the bag and stuck it on his belt.

"Now where is it that you want Cap'n Jack to take you?"

"The Destiny Islands." Replied the man "I have some business with an old friend. An old friend named Sora."

"Well ain't that a coincidence!" Smiled Jack, revealing a number of gold and silver teeth "I knew a bloke named Sora from the Islands meself. Helped me out of a bit of pickle a while back. Come to think of it, that kid still owes me his giant key."

"Oh really?" the man said, an eyebrow raised above his sunglasses.

"Oh yeah." Replied Jack "I forget exactly wot the bet was, but I remember that I won. Course, ol' Jack always wins in the end."

"You don't say."

"I mean, surely you've heard me." The pirate said "The Famous Cap'n Jack Sparrow, the greatest pirate that ever lived."

"Sure." He said. Who was he to argue with a man with a loaded weapon? Even though he had his own pistols, he didn't want to get into a shooting match. He wanted to remain as inconspicuous as possible.

"Excellent my friend!" smiled Jack and reaching into a crate, he pulled out a bottle "And now we drink!"

"Shouldn't you be steering the ship?"

"That's the beauty of this new technology." He replied pulling the cork out of the bottle with his teeth "Ship practically steers itself. 'Sides, never piloted Black Pearl 1 while sober either."

"Well, alright then. Pass it over." He reached for the bottle, but the pirate lifted it to his lips and took a long draught.

"Ahh!" he exclaimed as he passed the bottle "Don't git rum like that back home! Course, we git some pretty good rum, but this stuff, it's the best."

The man took the bottle and sniffed it. It didn't smell all that great, but he shrugged and took a swig anyway. It burned on the way down, but it hit the spot.

"Yeah." He coughed as he gave the bottle back to Jack "That is good."

"Glad ya like it!" he beamed "Mr…sorry I didn't catch yer name."

"It's…" he said with a smile "Chance."

TO BE CONTINUED…

_Ride forever onward, stare into the sun,  
__Where hopes and dreams are everlasting, marching on and on.  
Rise another day, across the distant skies,  
__Where the dawn above the winter moonlight  
__Shines upon the fall of our lives.  
_- "Above the Winter Moonlight" DragonForce

A/N: And yet another chapter is complete!

This includes a few moments that I kinda like. And yes, Jack Sparrow has his own Gummi ship. After all, the money is in the space lanes now, so of course he'd get one to make more money. Plus, the idea of him as a space pirate is just too awesome not to use.

And our mysterious new comer has a name. Just one thing on that, his name is kind of a clue. Nothing else will I say.

And what do the three Gummi ships bring to the Destiny Islands?

Stay tuned next chapter to find out!

The Magnificent Tim Fortune 11/18/08 11:57 AM


	18. Assembled Here the Volunteers

**Tim Fortune**

**Presents**

**KINGDOM HEARTS: COGNITO**

**Act III Scene III: Assembled Here the Volunteers**

With a hum, the first ship landed on a nearby sand dune. The door opened with a hiss, as fog drifted out of the climate controlled cockpit into the early tropical morning air.

It was so dense, that the kids couldn't see who stepped out of it. Mostly. They could pick out certain things, like the fact that the newcomer was of a median height, not too broad in the shoulders, with long hair that was tied in the back. He was relatively well dressed, in a manner that suggested a lot of wealth. But he didn't carry himself like a self-righteous rich man. He carried himself as if he was humbled by something and had learned from his mistakes.

But above all else, Sora and Kairi had no idea who this person was. Not even when he stepped out of the fog and they got a clear view at his face did it become clearer. Except for maybe...his eyes. There was something about those pale blue eyes that was familiar.

"Who are you?" Sora asked walking up to the stranger.

"I didn't think you'd recognize me in this form." replied the Stranger "But it was the only way to get off my world secretly. He knows my more familiar shape better than he does this one. I would have rather stayed back at the castle, but it's more important that I help you."

"More familiar shape?" queried Sora "What do you mean by that? I don't remember ever meeting you before."

"If you saw my other form, you'd know instantly. But not now. The others are coming."

"Others?"

And the two other ships set down next to the Strangers one. One of the cockpits opened up with a hiss and a spray of fog, but there was no mistaking who stepped out of it.

A shape that was too tall and lanky to be a normal human slowly emerged from the ship. The proportions of the second visitor were completely wrong. His torso was a small rectangle of sorts that rested a top two incredibly long legs, with impossibly small feet. His arms stretched down past his knees and they ended in four boney fingers. Normally to see such a creature emerge from mist would be terrifying, and the creature would adore it. But now was not the time to be terrifying. The creature moved its long legs out of the fog and towered over the kids. This time, there was no mistaking who this was.

"Jack!" exclaimed Sora happily.

"Hiya Sora!" the skeleton said, his skull grinning widely "It's great to see you. Granted, I'd prefer that they happen under happier circumstances."

"Why? What happened?"

"Same thing that's been happening all over every other world." replied Jack and he summed it all up in one word "Cognito."

The Keyblader's smile dropped.

"They reached your world too huh?" he said, dropping his head to his chest.

"It's not all bad." said the Pumpkin King "But, it's just...I don't know. Not the same. Sure, no one's really disappeared from there yet, but there's still that fear. And not the good kind of fear. That lunatic succeeded in doing what we thought was impossible; he actually made us afraid. Well, no more. Being scared is alright to get a few laughs, but it's no way to run a place! So, last night, after spending hours pacing around my tower, I drifted off to sleep. There, a dream told me to go out and use my fear to free my citizens from theirs. When I awoke, this gentleman was standing in front of me."

The stranger nodded solemnly. "I had a similar dream." he replied "It told me to find you and two others. Jack was one. And the other seems to have difficultly getting out of his ship."

Several loud bangs came from the third ship. Whoever was in there couldn't get out. More bangs followed and soon two fists shot through the metal. Tearing it away as if it were cardboard, the third person lifted himself out of the cockpit. Once again, there was no mistaking who this was.

"Hercules?"

"Yep." grinned Jack "We picked him up far away from Olympus." "Yeah." agreed the Hero "Hades took control of everything there. He even managed to imprison all the other Gods. All with the help of that dangerous group. I tried fighting against them, but that strong one, Balosufuz, bested me in combat. I couldn't even get near him. Every time I took a step towards him, a wave of sorts knocked me down and he rushed forward with his hammer. In my disgrace, I left. I had to train so that I could go back and be a hero once more."

"He too had the dream." added the Stranger. "It told me to wait for these two and go to you so that I could regain my honor."

"That's great and all," Sora said "But I...I don't know what to do! I had the dream too, but I just don't know! I mean, if he was able to best you," he pointed at Hercules "What chance do I have?"

"What happened to the Sora that could look Hades right in the eye and tell him off?" Hercules said.

"And the one who took whatever Oogie threw at him?"

"And let's not forget the one who took on Xaldin." the Stranger said.

Kairi nodded. "You see?" she said "You don't have to go at it alone. You've still got friends."

"Yeah, but..."  
Kairi interrupted him. "No more buts." she said "We have a chance now!"

"Okay! I've got some more help! That's good!" he exclaimed "But that doesn't change the fact that I'm clueless on what to do! What, are we supposed to storm his fortress? No one knows where it is!" And he looked at the three newcomers. "And I don't know why I have to be the hero again! I already saved this universe twice and in less than a year, it's all gone downhill again! I just don't know what I can actually do!"

"You can start by helping us." said the Stranger putting his hand on his shoulder, but Sora just brushed it off.

"Why?" he said angrily "I don't even know you. For all I know, you're working for him and are just here to trick us!"

"I would never work for him." the Stranger said, hatred glowing in his eyes "Not after what he did to my world. Not after what he did to...her." He lifted his head to the sky and let out a shout, but instead of just a typical human yell, it sounded more like the howl of some animal.

"Him and his cronies, they took her from me. They took her to his keep and I need to get her back! And you better help as well, for soon, they'll be coming for her!" He pointed at Kairi. She opened her eyes wide in shock.

"Me? Why?"

"You're a Princess of Heart aren't you?" he asked "He's gathering them. He already got her. I'm grateful that she fought back, but...it wasn't enough. He hasn't done anything to her yet, but he will. And I have to make sure he doesn't."

Sora looked the Stranger over. He had said that he knew him, but not in that form. There was also something about his eyes, something all too familiar. And his repeated references to some girl. Sora didn't know anyone more protective of their love other than...

"Beast?" he said.

"Not quite so now." smiled the Stranger "The spell was broken somewhat shortly after we defeated Xaldin."

"Somewhat?" he asked "Sorry for all the questions, but how could it have somewhat been broken? Either it was or it wasn't."

"Well, it was in the fact that I'm now human...for the most part." replied the Prince "In moments of extreme duress, anger, sadness, I...I revert back into that monstrous shape. I change back when I've calmed down, but it's still there. It's still within me. Although, it does become useful for what we're about to do."

"So Cognito has Belle?" asked Sora.

"Correct." answered Beast "They've been getting the Princesses for some time. I don't know what he has planned for them, but whenever they're gathered, for whatever reason, it can't be good."

"I might be next." Kairi said under her breath.

"All the more reason that we must act!" said Beast.

"Again, how?" said Sora "I take it you know where this madman's keep is?"

"Well...no."

"Then what are we supposed to do? We're all here, but we don't have a plan or any idea of what to do! Some revolution this is turning out to be."

"Oh, I don't know. You've got such exquisite pieces lined up." a voice said coming from behind a sand dune. The five gathered on the beach turned and looked towards it. Climbing over the sand, was a man who was clearly not dressed for the tropics.

He wore a gray turtleneck sweater underneath a buttoned beige jacket, with blue jeans that went over boots of sorts. On his hands. were leather gloves. In fact, the only thing on him that would have been appropriate on the beach was the black mirrored sunglasses he was wearing.

"Who are you?" Sora said, drawing his Keyblade out to point at the new stranger.

"Please allow me to introduce myself," he said with a smile, a smile made somewhat more creepy and severe with the dark unkept goatee that framed the edges of his mouth "The name's Chance. And I'm here to join your little revolution."

"How did you know about this?" Beast asked eyeing him with suspicion "Are you a spy?"

"For him? Goodness no!" laughed Chance "I want him gone just as much as you fine people do. I followed you here from the tavern on your last outpost. I overheard you talking and well, I decided, why not?"

"How can we trust you?" Sora said, his Keyblade still pointed at him.

"Just ask my valet." he whistled and another familiar face came from over the dune.

"Wot?" he said as he slid down the dune.

"Jack?"

"Yes?" replied both Jack Sparrow and Jack Skellington. After they said it, they looked at each other.

"Jack Sparrow?" said Sora again.

"Ahhh..." said the Pirate twirling his fingers.

Sora rolled his eyes. "Captain Jack Sparrow?"

"Much better mate." he smiled "Yeah, is me. And I'd jest like ta say that I'd be willing to join yer lil revolution thing. Provided I git my share o' the treasure at the end of course."

"Still motivated by treasure I see." laughed Sora.

"Is there anything else?" the captain said, showing off his gold teeth.

"Alright, alright." Chance said walking next to Sora. With one of his gloved hands, he lowered the Keyblade. "You see, I came with an old friend of yours."

"You probably could've picked someone better than him."

"Who else has a ship?" said Chance "But anyway, me and Jack are here to offer our services."

"I don't know." Sora said indecisively "Even if, mind you if, I decided to go about this, why should I include you? I don't even know you!"

"Does that really matter?" the newcomer added "I'm ready, willing and able to help. Besides, when the time comes, you'll be thankful that you have me on your side."

"I doubt that."

"Oh you doubt that do you?" said Chance, his smile growing a little larger "Well, take my word for it. I'd be a valuable asset. Besides, I know how we can get to Rutonfex's fortress."

Five heads suddenly snapped in his direction.

"Oh now everyone pays attention to me." he said with a laugh "Well, let me clarify. I don't know how to reach it per se, but I know who knows how to reach it."

"You have a source?" Beast said "Tell us."

"Gladly." he replied "But I don't think Key boy over here's gonna like it too much."

"Oh? And what makes you think that?"

"One word." he said, lowering his head a bit, his smile still plastered on his face "Roxas."

Sora's face fell at hearing that.

"I told you that you wouldn't like it too much." Chance said "But it's the only way. We have to find him. This is is his territory. He has to stop by soon. And when he does, he quickly follow him through his portal and bingo bango! We're at the throneworld."

"But does it have to be...him?" Sora said with a gulp. He was a little terrified of meeting his other half. Especially since he was the protégé of sorts to that lunatic.

"We're on his world right now." said Chance "It has to be him. Oh, calm down. You don't have to go near him. Once I'm in, I can keep the portal open long enough to get us all through."

"And how are you capable of that?" Kairi asked walking up to him "Do you have some sort of power over darkness?"

"You could say that." he said esoterically "But does it really matter? After all, your little friend Riku wields darkness and you like him. Light and dark are just words. It all depends on how you use them."

"Alright, considering your plan works," Sora said "What then? How are the seven of us going to take them on?"

"You didn't have such reservations before taking on Xehnie's Heartless or his group of emotionally repressed failures. And this time, it's completely personal. He took your still beating Heart out of your chest for Christ's sake. Just think of how sweet it will be to have him on the other end of your Keyblade. Can you do that for me Sora?"

Sora looked down at the weapon in his hand. He lifted it up to his face and admired the sunlight that reflected off it. He swiped it in the air, picturing the Artisan on the end of every stroke. "Yes." he said, a slightly dark smile crossing his face "Yes. I can easily see that. Maybe, we have a chance after all."

"It is my name after all." His smile grew even wider, revealing some of his teeth. Oddly, they were yellow and seemed to be shaped like fangs. But it was too subtle for anyone to really notice.

"So we're doing it?" said Beast going up to them.

"Yes. We're going after Cognito."

"Excellent!" exclaimed the Pumpkin King.

"Great!" said Hercules.

"Just keep me alive long enough to claim me treasure." was Jack Sparrow's response.

"Then we begin as soon as we find...him." Sora said, absolutely refusing to say his double's name "He should be in town. So let's head over there. Quietly! We don't want the Dusks..."

But before he could finish speaking, a swarm of silvery skinned Nobodies materialized in front of them. Sora and Kairi lifted their Keyblades in offensive positions, as Jack Sparrow drew his sword. Jack Skellington, Hercules and Beast stood ready to attack, as Chance merely stood calmly.

"Allow me." he said stepping in front of the others, slowly removing one of his gloves, finger by finger. When the glove was off, a great wave of darkness shot out from it at the Dusks, knocking them over.

Chance lifted his arm and snapped it down again, causing the darkness that emanated from it to act like a whip of sorts. The others lowered their weapons and stood still, looking in shock at what their mysterious compatriot was doing. Over and over, he used his arm darkness to attack the Dusks, until soon, they all disappeared into the usual void that Nobodies belong to.

He calmly put his glove back on. Reaching into his pocket, he pulled out a black cigarette, stuck it in his mouth and lit with a lighter he also took out. As He took a drag, he turned and walked towards his stunned comrades.

"Well?" he said blowing smoke out the side of his mouth. Sora was the first to act. Lunging forward, he put his Keyblade to Chance's throat and knocking him down to the ground. When he hit the sand, his sunglasses fell off his face, revealing to the crowd, two yellow pupilless orbs where his eyes should have been. And that was what confirmed Sora's suspicions.

"Stay where you are." he said standing over him, his Keyblade still at his throat "Heartless."

TO BE CONTINUED…

_In the year of '39 assembled here the volunteers,  
In the days when the lands were few.  
And the ship sailed out into the blue and misty morn,  
The sweetest sight ever seen.  
And the night followed day,  
And the story tellers say,  
That the score brave souls inside,  
For so many a lonely day, sailed across the milky seas.  
Never looked back, never feared, never cried.  
_- "'39" Queen

A/N: And yet another chapter complete!

This too was done in Write or Die. Took me an hour and 20 minutes. I decided to do it while I waited for my laundry to be done.  
And now the players in place. As for Beast's form, well you can imagine that the movie's ending happened after you leave the Castle following Xaldin's defeat. And for the switching to and fro between forms, that's a reference to my favorite comic series _Fables_. The simplest way I can describe the series is that the traditional fairy tale characters now live hidden lives among us mundys (their word for us, for they call our world the Mundane World.) There Beauty and Beast live as deputy mayor and sheriff of Fabletown respectively. It's a great series. The first 69 issues are in trade paperbacks. You can find them in the Graphic novel section of your local bookstore. I was for a brief while tempted to write a crossover story between the KH universe and the Fables one, but decided against it, considering the vast differences in characterization. This is particularly true with the character of Gepetto in _Fables_. Read to find out his deal.

And I gave some more info on Chance. So he's a Heartless, it's been officially confirmed. But that still doesn't answer who he is. Stay tuned for further developments.  
And for any more Roxas OOC, well, that's just what he wants you to think.

That is all.  
The Magnificent Tim Fortune 12/4/08 10:00 PM


	19. Years of Pain Still Haunts us All

**Tim Fortune**

**Presents**

**KINGDOM HEARTS: COGNITO**

**Act III Scene IV: Years of Pain Still Haunts us All**

"Oh, that is just cruel." Chance said groping around in the sand for his sunglasses as Sora stood over him, his Keyblade pointed at his throat. "I don't go around throwing bigoted epitaphs in your direction. I prefer to be called 'Concentrated Sentient Darkness.' Yeah. That…that's a little more PC."

"What are you doing here?" the Keyblader sneered. Here he was ready to charge against an all powerful Nobody and now; a Heartless was in his midst. And not just any Heartless, but a pretty powerful one, seeing that he had somehow managed to maintain a mostly human shape and still have consciousness.

"I already told you." The Heartless replied, picking up his sunglasses and placing them on his face. "I'm here to help with your little revolution. As a rule, I don't lie. Usually, there isn't a point. And that applies to this situation. When I said that I'm here to help, I meant it. And could you please get that thing out of my face?" He nudged the Keyblade away from him. "I'm not your typical Concentrated Sentient Darkness. I ain't drawn to that thing and I don't fear it. So put it away or you'll take an eye out. And I already lost mine."

Reluctantly, Sora lowered his weapon. He still kept it at the ready at his side, just in case. He may have said that he was being honest, but with a Heartless, you never could tell.

"Thank you very much." Replied Chance with a smile. He got up from the sand and brushed it off of his as best that he could. "I don't blame ya for jumping to conclusions and pointing your little sword at me, but did you have to knock my smoke out of my mouth? Do you realize how expensive these things get?"

"Sorry." Sora said a little sarcastically.

"Whatever." He replied with a hand wave "Stuff'll give ya heart failure. And when you're nothing but Heart, well…" His smile grew wider. "Anyways, whether or not you like what I am, it doesn't change the fact that you need me. And besides, if I really wanted your Hearts, I'd have taken them already."

The group looked at each other.

"Alright, fine." He said turning his back to them "See what I care. You know, you'd think a Heartless could catch a break in a Universe run by Nobodies, but no. You all still have your little hang-ups about my kind. It doesn't matter that I'm here. You just see me and go 'Oh no! Heartless! Eeee!' Don't even give me a chance to speak. Why, that's prejudice is what it is."

"Okay, okay." Said Sora going up to him "Sorry. But it was Heartless that got me into this to begin with. But are you sure that you can help us?"

"I don't exaggerate. I see no need to." He replied turning back around. He held out his hand "Let's make this official. After all, don't Heartless have as much reason to hate Nobodies as you full Humans or Humanoids do? I believe so."

"Just don't do anything sneaky." Sora said walking back towards his friends.

"Moi?" responded Chance in a faux-innocent voice and putting his hands on his chest.

Sora just rolled his eyes. _Great_ he thought _Not only am I stuck with a Heartless, but a pretty annoying one too_. In the back of his mind, there was a nagging thought that he had run into this particular Heartless before. He didn't know how, but something about the way he spoke and even to a certain degree the way he talked, seemed…familiar. He shook such thoughts away. There wasn't any chance that he had ever met him before today, but still they remained, nagging at the back of his head.

Chance reached into his pocket and pulled another black cigarette out.

"Ahh, Djarums." He said after lighting it and taking a drag "Best smoke in the worlds."

The smoke exited his mouth and floated away into the sky. The rest kept their distance from him, with the exception of Jack Sparrow, as they couldn't really stand the smell of his cigarette.

"Well fearless leader," said Chance looking towards Sora "What do we do now?"

"Why are you looking at me?"

"You're leading this little rebellion now aren't you? I'm just here to add some much needed dark fire power. So tell us, what's the plan?"

"Um…well…" he didn't know what to say. Just all of a sudden he was put on the spot. "Well…Chance you say that we can get to the throneworld by just following…Roxas?"

"Correct." He said with a rather shark-like smile of yellow semi-fanged teeth.

"So," he took a deep breath "I say we go for it tomorrow. It may be early, but let's just take a day to mentally prepare."

He turned to his four outer world friends.

"Obviously, you can't stay here, so just go into your ships and wait in orbit until tomorrow."

"Got it mate." Jack Sparrow said "I got a cloakin' field that'll hide us quite nicely."

Sora raised an eyebrow.

"Pirate." The captain replied "Gotta make sure I'm always a step ahead o' the law."

"Alright." He said "Wait with Jack in orbit until tomorrow morning. You got a radio?"

"Course." Answered the Pirate.

"We'll call you when we need you. So go."

The four walked back to their respective ships. Jack hurried in front of them and spoke.

"Well gents looks like we're in fer a bit o' a wait. Why not come over to me ship when we're up. I've got rum!"

Chance clapped his hands.

"Excellent work. Excellent work indeed." He said "In no time flat you've taken command. Oh this is going to work just beautifully!"

"Are you sure?" Kairi said walking up to him "I mean, all we're going to do is follow Roxas to the throneworld. What then?"

"Ah!" said Chance holding a gloved finger up "Do not direct your questions to me! I'm just a soldier; the generalissimo is your little boyfriend over there."

"I'm not…" Sora said under his breath as he turned a little red.

"Whatever." Chance said raising his hands "Doesn't matter what you call it I guess. Anyways, all questions to him."

Kairi instead turned to face Sora.

"So?"

"Um…well…" he tugged at his collar. Once again, he was put on the spot. "I don't…I don't know yet. That's why I'm waiting a day. Maybe I'll figure something out."

"Oh."

"Brilliant move sir!" said Chance, his smile growing even wider.

Kairi moved Sora out of the Heartless' earshot.

"Are you sure we want this guy helping us?" she asked.

"No. I don't want him around." He answered "I want to take my Keyblade and…you know."

"Yeah. I do. I don't have any love for Heartless either. And that's not the only thing. Something just seems off about him."

"You noticed too?"

"Yeah." She agreed "I feel like I've met him before. I don't know where, but…I just feel like I have."

"I'm thinking the exact same thing." Said Sora "I can't pinpoint it either."

"Do you think," Kairi said, lowering her voice to a whisper just to make sure that they definitely weren't overheard "Do you think that he could be, you know, _his _Heartless?"

Sora tilted his head to the sky and racked his brain. It was possible. But, even if it were true, why would his Heartless want to help them? That didn't make much sense. If Chance was the Heartless of Rutonfex, wouldn't he want to rush in join his other half? After all, both halves of Xehanort were after identical goals. And since then, he hadn't met any other Heartless that retained human form. And besides, what were the chances that two power hungry tyrants could produce both a powerful Heartless and a powerful Nobody?

"I guess he could be." Shrugged Sora "But still, why would he help us? Why would he want to take down his other half?"

"I guess you're right." She said "Still, that's a possibility, right?"

"Yeah, but he's still here, willing to help us."

"He could mean to betray us later on."

Sora chuckled a bit.

"What so funny?" she said, placing her hands on her hips.

"It's just that usually you're the accepting one." He said with a slight grin "Now you're being cynical?"

"Well, yeah. Someone has to be."

"True. But still," he said "We may be dealing with the enemy. But we don't know! Let's just give this guy the benefit of the doubt."

"Fine." Agreed Kairi "After all, if he does end up turning against us, you, me, the others, we could take him."

Sora's grin grew a little wider.

"Yeah, you're right."

They began to walk back to where they had left Chance. They had expected to see him still standing by the dune, his yellow smile still on his bearded face, while a cigarette dangled from his mouth, but they instead found that he wasn't there.

"Hello?" Sora called out "Chance?"

He walked closer to the dune to see if he could pick him out in the distance, but found that he couldn't. Instead, he found a small piece of folded paper underneath a rock. Picking it up, he read it.

_Sora_ the note began _I've got to get out of the sun for a while, so I've gone into one of the caves. Meet me at the caves after nightfall, as you probably have some questions for me. Despite whatever misgivings you have on my race, I assure you, I'm here to help. – Chance._

"Well?" said Kairi jogging up to him.

"He left me a note." He said looking at the paper "He said that he's gone into the caves to get out of the sunlight. And, I have to meet him at nightfall."

"And?"

"That's it."

"Are you going to go?" she said as he crumpled up the note "If he is untrustworthy this would be the time he would strike."

"You're right. Once again. But, this could also be a good time to find out about him. Besides, it doesn't say I have to go alone. You can come with. As back-up."

"Okay." She nodded "I'll just wait in the distance and if he tries anything…" She released her Keyblade and swung it down on an invisible opponent. Sora smiled at that.

"Much better than being a damsel in distress huh?" he asked.

"Oh yeah." She said returning his smile "I think this time it might be good to be on the fighting side for once."

"Yep." He said and the two of them looked out onto the shore and watched the waves roll in.

**XIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIII**

The moon hung over the beach as Sora made his way towards the caves on the island. Chance had said in his note that he wanted to talk with him. Or rather, Sora had wanted to talk with him. And in a way, he did. There were a lot of questions he had about this strange Heartless, the foremost being why he wanted to help them. And maybe, just maybe, he could lay those nagging thoughts to rest.

Because maybe, just maybe, they weren't dealing with the Heartless of the Nobody they were planning on facing.

He didn't want to go right out and ask him that question directly. Chance had said that he didn't lie, but he had also said it was because he didn't see a point most of the time. That still meant that he could lie when he wanted to. Instead, Sora would try to worm it out of him, piece the clues together. For now, all he had was just a nagging suspicion at the back of his head.

The moon shone brightly behind a cloud as Sora came up to the caves. A lone fire burned in a pit in front of the entrance, but there was no one to be seen. Instead, every rock and tree branch gave off a menacing and ominous shadow because of the combination of the firelight and the moon. Sora looked around. He was there, but where was Chance?

It didn't take long before he noticed two yellow orbs glaring out of the darkness behind a rock formation.

"Alright Chance." He said, his hand by his side, just in case he needed his Keyblade and needed it quickly. Just as Kairi had promised, she was waiting a distance away, ready to hit him with a Thundaga, Firaga, Blizzaga, or some combination of all three, just in case the Heartless tried anything sinister. "I'm here."

"Evening Sora." A voice said from under the eyes and Chance stepped out of the shadows. While the only light came from the fire and moon, Sora could see that Chance looked a bit, different. For one thing, obviously, his sunglasses were off, revealing those two orbs that served as typical Heartless eyes. Also, he had his jacket off, showing that he was wearing a simple gray turtleneck.

But it was some other things that showed more about him. Next to his shoulders, were two silver revolvers in holsters. The moon shone off their polished handles and danced around the shadows.

"Nice huh?" he said with his fanged smile "Stole them from some insane girl a few years back. I don't think she particularly missed them, but what do I know?"

_So he's a thief as well_ Sora thought. But that was replaced with another one when his eyes moved down from the guns. While the Heartless had his sleeves rolled up, it was a bit jarring to see what lay underneath. Even though his face was somewhat normal looking, despite the yellow eyes and the near fangs, it would have been safe to assume that the rest of him looked the same. Not so, for his arms were the usual black of a Heartless and they ended in the clawed fingers typical of the race.

"Yeah, I know what you're thinking." Said Chance moving out of the shadows and towards the fire. Taking a seat on a nearby log, he patted a rock next to him "Here, sit a spell."

Sora cautiously moved to the rock and sat down.

"You're wondering about the arms." He said resting his chin on one.

"Not really." Replied Sora "I mean you're a Heartless and all, so…"

"I wasn't always like this." Chance said, completely ignoring what Sora had just stated "I once looked like you."

"Well duh, I mean you were a whole being once."

"Not what I meant." Chance responded "I mean, I once looked completely human. I'm part of a rare class of Heartless. The kind that kept their bodies and consciousness. I even had real eyes! But they were gouged out long ago. I tell you, some people have no sense of humor."

"What happened?" asked Sora. Sure the conversation wasn't heading in the direction he particularly wanted it to go, but he was bringing up points that were a little…curious.

"Shortly after I was created," he began "I joined this group of Heartless known as the Hunters. Don't know if you heard of them, but they were pretty bad ass. I was a low ranking member, barely had any contact with the higher ups. My missions were of little consequence to the whole, so I half-assed them. Higher ups didn't like that too much. Whatever, I didn't care. Course, they had it in for me since day one. Especially this one leader, Alexia. Oh God, how she hated me. Granted, in hindsight I can see why. She didn't take kindly to me walking through the halls of the castle singing Johnny Rebel songs at the top of my lungs. And there were some other stuff too. I'm not at liberty to say what. So any way, one day, shortly after they decided that I wasn't," he made little air quotes "'Hunter Material', she comes at me with a knife and takes my eyes. I found that odd, as she always seemed to be the most docile of the lot, but they were vicious killers regardless of how they acted and it didn't change the fact that I had to fall back on my normal Heartless eyes. Luckily I stole a pair of sunglasses from the Green haired Emo leader. I considered it my severance package. I don't know what happened to them after that, but it was years ago. I hope the bastards got what's coming to them."

There was silence after his little story. The two stared at the fire for a bit, as Chance took a stick and poked at the ashes to get it going better.

"And as for the arms, well…" he paused "Since ol' Rutie's come to power, darkness is creeping in. And as a shadow, I can't really exist in darkness, so I'm slowly becoming a part of it. Soon, I'm gonna lose my uniqueness and be just another Darkside or Shadow. That's why I want to stop him. I want to bring back the light."

"Uh huh." Sora said skeptically "A Heartless wanting to bring light back, instead of tearing it down." He scoffed.

"You find that hard to believe?" Chance replied "Look at me! I have to wear a fucking turtleneck and gloves at the fucking beach! And maybe, just maybe, the return of the light will give me my eyes back."

"But why would a Heartless care so much?"

Chance sighed.

"The only one's you've had experience with were the dumb ones and Xehanort. Not exactly a perfect sampling. There are a lot more of us than we let on. Most of us just try to live our lives. We don't want to be bothered and so we don't bother anyone else. We just want to be left alone. And since Rutonfex took over, I'm fucking starving! As a Heartless, I feed on Hearts and with Dusks combing the area, I can't get my one victim a month to sate my hunger!"

Sora leapt up and summoned his Keyblade.

"One more step and you're dead." He said holding the weapon in front of him.

"I don't want you." Chance said from his perch on the log "I can handle it. It's not a normal hunger. It's more a nagging after thought. I can ignore it. And once again, if I wanted your Heart and or anyone else's, I'd've taken it already. No. I…" he chuckled and under his breath added "Can't believe I'm saying this, but," he continued in a normal voice "I need your help. I couldn't take on Cognito all by myself. I might as well take one of my guns and blow my dark brains out, as that'll be the outcome. I need help. And not just any help, the special Keyblade kind of help. Namely, you."

Sora eased his way back towards his seat, his Keyblade still in front of him. Alright, Chance didn't seem to have any evil intentions, but he wasn't sure. And that voice at the back of this head just wouldn't shut up. But there was something else that put some of those suspicions at bay for a while.

Chance had said that he was part of a Heartless group years ago. Now Rutonfex had to have been in existence for no less than a year, as he had known the Organization. But, he wasn't a part of that group. He just had a connection to them, whatever it might be. But Chance had been around for years. Maybe he wasn't the Heartless of that power mad tyrant. But he still didn't know for sure. Because, he was just guessing aspects of Rutonfex's life. No one, other than those in his little group probably, knew the full details of his life. But it was a slightly comfortable rationalization.

If only the same could be said about Chance's personality.

"So once again, I have to be a hero?" he said taking a seat "It's always me. I always have to swoop in and save the day. I haven't had a chance to be a normal kid ever since that day I found that one cave. For the past year, I've been shunted back and forth across world after world, helping everyone with their problems. But what about me? I come off as this big selfless hero, but don't I get a chance to be selfish for once? Don't I get a chance to say 'No, I don't care about your problems'? When can I just sit back and watch the chaos unfold as someone else deals with it?"

"Well if it's any consolation," said Chance "This time it's not just because you need to be a hero. This time, you can do it because that motherfucker took your still beating Heart out of your chest. I saw your eyes when I first mentioned it, you want that fucker dead. And not just dead, but by your hand and slowly mutilated too. I can sense the rage burning within you. We're not that different. He's taking my self and he took your Heart. Both mean everything to us."

Sora stared into the fire. Yes, there was an element of truth in what the creature said. He did want him dead for what he did to him. That was violation of the utmost degree. But still…

"Just listen to me." Chance said as the fire cast a glow over his face and reflected out of his pupilless eyes "If you're distressed about the altruistic nature of this, just remember you have your own vendetta to maintain."

"It's not so much I'm worried about the altruism." Replied Sora "It's just that, well, I guess I'm a little tired of it always being me you know?"

"Can't say I do personally, but I feel ya."

"But maybe, just maybe…" Sora looked out onto the ocean where the waves slowly moved in and out on the shore. It had a calming effect. "Oh, I don't know. I'm conflicted! One part says 'go out!', while another says 'what's the point?' I just don't know."

"You seemed pretty confidant on the beach earlier today." Chance said folding his arms against his chest and leaning back a bit "All gung ho, let's do this."

"Why do you think I said to wait a day?" Sora replied "It's a stall tactic."

"Obviously." Snorted Chance "Well, here's another thing. Your friends up there in orbit, they're looking to you. Sure, you may not be the best fighter, you may not have major skills in magic and Lord knows you practically never make sound tactical decisions, but there's the issue of morale. A universe looks to you. Sorry if that puts more weight on your shoulders, but it's the truth."

Sora said nothing, but still stared out into the rolling waves. Chance collapsed his face into his hands and ran them down his face.

"Alright," he said standing up "Fuck it. There's no fucking way I can reach you. You'd rather go" and he altered his voice to a whiney tone "'Oh woe is me, my Heart was taken from my chest, but I'm too much of an Emo pussy to do anything about it, wah wah!' That's what I'm hearing behind all your rationalization. Suck it up, grow some balls and take any aggression out on those silvery pricks and their douchebag masters. You know you want to."

"Yeah but…" but he didn't get to finish as Chance backhanded him.

"No buts." The Heartless said "Tomorrow with or without you, I'm taking those four up there to complete the mission. I thought that you'd be a good leader for this, given your prior experience, but you're too much of a whiney pussy to do anything. Oh, I'm sure we're capable enough to take them down, but we'll be missing the 'Heart' of the group, namely you. Morale is a good deal of the battle. You can have the best troops there is, but with no leader to spread any positive bullshit, they could still lose. And once again, I know you want a chance to take a swing at the Head Fucker."

Sora rubbed his cheek during the entire speech. He was willing to endanger his friends in order to complete some goal of his own? What was with this guy? Sora was almost tempted to walk away, but something held him back. Maybe the Heartless was right. Maybe his only real skill was the morale he brought. Donald had always been much better at magic and Riku and Goofy had had much better fighting skills, as well as any of the others he had encountered on all the Worlds, while he was just picking up different bits of training along the way. He also wasn't very decisive, as the current situation was clearly showing. And yet, he was looked to as the leader. It was something to think about. Maybe he did need to lead everyone into battle. Maybe that was his role in the grand scheme of things.

And, oh yes, he did want to harm Rutonfex.

"I guess," he said after a long silence "I'm with you. Let's do this."

"Most excellent." Chance said, his ever present smile growing wider, making him look almost like a demon with the fire reflecting off his yellow eyes and near fanged teeth "Now go get plenty of sleep. Tomorrow, we find your other half and from there to victory!"

And he retreated back into his cave, singing a song as he did.

"Haul out that picture of Stonewall; tack it up with an old gray pin! Raise up the Stars and Bars, the South shall rise again! Oh Susannah! Oh, don't you sit and spin. If we all turn out with the Rebel Shout, the South shall rise again!"

He kept singing, but it grew fainter as he went further into the cave. To Sora, the lyrics made no sense, but he shrugged and walked down the path towards the camp where he was staying.

He walked past the bush where Kairi was. To his amusement, he found that she had crouched down and fallen asleep, her head resting between her knees. Sora chuckled and gave her a slight shake.

She roused quickly and shouted "Firaga!" as a gigantic fireball shout into the air and landed in the ocean, where a giant cloud of steam emerged.

"Calm down." Sora said "No danger. I just got back from meeting with Chance. And, well, we're definitely going after them tomorrow."

"Okay." Replied Kairi "But did you find out whether or not he's who we think he is?"

Sora then realized that during their entire conversation, he never got any definite clues and in the last part of it, had never even thought about it. He walked off without answering, as Kairi ran behind him.

Up near the caves, Chance exited his domicile to look out at the two kids running down the beach.

"I couldn't have been happier with how that went." He said, his smile giving him an even more demonic quality than before "Hook, line, and sinker."

And he walked back into his cave whistling a jaunty tune.

TO BE CONTINUED…

_Years of pain still haunts us all, we saw the last sunrise.  
Take me home in freedom for a lifetime.  
Praying on for the silence and the last tears will blind,  
So glorious, this fight inside, united we stand!  
_- "Heroes of our Time" DragonForce

A/N: Act III Scene IV, peaced!

Originally, this was going to be longer. What is now Scene V was to be it's ending, but once again as I wrote, I found that the ending before I reached my original one.

When Chance talks about "Hunters", that is yet another reference to FF009's "Ward" story, in which they are her main villains. I'm just making a call to my own origins, as I came up with the idea for this story whilst reading hers. Plus, I think that humanoid Heartless should be together. But not Chance. He's too anti-social. So, he was an incredibly low ranking member, who very early on, I'm gonna say about a year or so before the action of WoOXIII, got drummed out for incompetence. Largely because he didn't really care. Don't worry, there's no retcons here, just a fanboy expressing his love for a certain tale. And it's more backstory than anything.

If you've read her story, you'll probably know about the character of Alexia (of course, I also speak to the great Authoress herself on this, so I'm sure she knows her own creations). And if you look up anything by Johnny Rebel, you'll understand why she'd want to stab him. I also thought it would be an interesting way to describe why he has yellow orbs for eyes instead of normal looking ones.

Speaking of which, the song that Chance sings going into the cave is one of the least offensive Johnny Rebel songs, "The South Shall Rise Again." It gives you a decent idea of what the guy sings about. And may even give you more reasons not to like Chance, if that's what he listens to, for some of those songs are just awful.

Anyways, enjoy.

The Magnificent Tim Fortune 12/17/08 2:35 PM (Alright! I finally got a chapter done in the afternoon!)


	20. Princes of the Universe

**Tim Fortune**

**Presents**

**KINGDOM HEARTS: COGNITO**

**Act III Scene V: Princes of the Universe**

The bright sunshine of the tropics slowly dawned on the cave. Chance stuck his head out.

"Bah." He said as he pulled his sunglasses out his pocket and placed them on his face "Much better."

The sunglasses did more for him than just hide the orbs that were now his eyes. Because he no longer had normal looking ones, his Heartless eyes kicked in. While the rest of his long, slightly angular, bearded face looked the normal, he had the regular eyes of a Heartless instead of his usual striking brown ones.

Now how else did the sunglasses help him? Well, Heartless can't see in normal light. Everything comes out as a photonegative to them, with no clear detail. The only detail that they can clearly see in direct light is a Heart beating, as that is their food source. But in darkness, even relative darkness, they can see as well as you or I. So, the sunglasses made it dark enough for him to see everything clearly. And with that, he could move amongst the people normally.

Rolling up his sleeves and pulling his gloves out of his pockets and placing them on, Chance grabbed his beige jacket and put it on. While a normal person would swelter under a thick turtleneck, jacket and gloves, the Heartless didn't feel a thing. Darkness had no internal temperature, so he could wear whatever he wanted.

He made his way down the path towards the encampment where the two kids had spent the night, singing as he did.

"_Will you join in our crusade_? _Who will be strong and stand with me?_" he sang as he walked along the beach "_Somewhere beyond the barricade is there a world you long to see? Do you hear the people sing? Say do you hear the distant drums? It is the future that they bring when tomorrow comes!"_

The waves crashed along the sand as gulls filled the air, squawking as they were prone to do. The birds narrowly missed them as they dove towards the water for their morning meal and they also narrowly missed him in other ways. He didn't quite mind, but the squawking was driving him mad. Reaching into his jacket, he pulled out one of his silver revolvers. Cocking the hammer back, he took aim and fired. The bullet shot straight and true and the gull he was aiming for fell from the sky. Twirling the gun in his finger, he placed it back into its holster on his shoulder and kept walking. Soon, he came to the dead gull.

"All hail to the Gunslinger, praise to the Dinh and the King." He said with a chuckle as he kicked the dead bird out of his path. Placing his hands into his pockets, he returned to walking, this time whistling instead of singing.

Yes, everything was going nicely. The kid had agreed to help him and he had some loyal followers willing to go along with him. Chance grinned. Things were going exactly as he had foreseen. So far. He just had to hope that the next part of his plan came to fruition. Given the kid's previous track record, it seemed highly likely, but there were still unaccounted for variables.

"Unknown unknowns." He chuckled to himself again. He did that quite frequently. Mostly because very few found what he had to say funny, and that was usually because they often had no clue what the fuck he was talking about.

So, he just kept walking along the beach, despising the blue skies and bright sunshine. While he liked to vacation in the tropics, he could never live there. Nope. A cold winter was ideal for him.

Soon he came to the clearing behind the dunes where the kids had set up their camp. They had decided that it was just easier to stay on this particular island than head over to their home one just across the bay. After all, they had been here late talking with him, or at least the boy did. The girl just stood watch and did a pretty piss poor job in Chance's opinion. She had fallen asleep when, well, anything could have happened. Although that fireball she shot in the air when she was shook awake was pretty funny.

Today was the day that they launched their revolution of sorts. While it was still pretty early, Chance wanted to get this thing started as soon as possible. After all, every second he waited was a second that a microscopic bit of him faded away. He wanted to do this now.

He patiently waited by their campsite, tapping his booted foot in the sand. There was no movement from there.

Rolling his eyes or at least the equivalent as he had no pupils, he walked over. Maybe he'd get a little fun in first.

**XIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIII**

Sora rolled over in his sleeping bag and slowly opened his eyes. Expecting to see the typical sand dunes or maybe Kairi's own sleeping bag, he instead found himself staring into bright yellow pupilless eyes.

"Good morning starshine." Chance said with what could probably be the largest smile that ever crossed his face.

Sora jumped up, screamed and summoned his Keyblade. As soon as it appeared in his hand, he brought it down on the Heartless' head.

"OW! What the fuck?!" Chance shouted as he too jumped up "Jesus Christ, can't a guy have a little fun?"

"Sorry Chance." Sora said, his Keyblade disappearing from his hand.

"Wha? What's going on?" Kairi said, still asleep sticking her head up, her hair all disheveled.

"Oh nothing, but your fucktard boyfriend decided to fall back on old habits and play 'whack a Heartless'." Chance said rubbing his head, where a massive blackish bump had grown. Reaching into his jacket, he pulled out his sunglasses with his other hand and set them on his face. "Anyways, rise and shine children! Ring the bells and toss the tea, the Revolution of 1860 has begun!"

Then he walked away, singing and dancing as he did.

"_Southrons hear your country call you, up lest worse than death befall you! To arms! To arms! To arms for Dixie! Lo! All the beacon fires a-lighted, let all Hearts be now united! To arms! To arms! To arms for Dixie! Advance the flag of Dixie! Hurrah! Hurrah! For Dixie's land_…"

His voice trailed off as he went further away. Sora and Kairi merely looked at each other. Helpful or not, this guy was clearly insane.

"Revolution of 1860?" Sora said as Kairi attempted to tame her disheveled hair.

"I dunno." She said, still half-asleep in some manner "Anyway, c'mon. Time to do this."

Sora nodded as he brushed the sand off his pants and did a quick adjustment of his hair. Today was the day. It was time to go out and take down that madman, before he did any more damage. Of course, it was unknown as to what the extant of his crimes against the universe were, but he had to be taken out before he could do anymore.

Sora and Kairi left their sleeping bags in their little makeshift hut on the sand. When they came back, if they came back, then they'd deal with them. But now, more important things lay on the horizon.

It was somewhat fitting that the early morning sun shone bright in the sky. After all, they were setting out to take down a power mad tyrant. Just like the last two times. They were going to bring the light back into the universe. Just like the last two times. In fact, pretty much everything about this mission was almost exactly like it was the last two times. Especially the second one. Dangerous group of Nobodies pursuing their own dark goals? Higher risks than the previous time? Actual manipulation and use of Sora for aforementioned dark goals? Check, check and check.

From the little memorial at the Hotel California, it would seem that Rutonfex had had some sort of history with the Organization. But the "Emperor", as he now called himself, didn't let any details about himself out to the public. A good deal had figured out that he had once been a man named Fortune, and the only connection there was that someone with that name had lived and worked in Radiant Garden only a few years back. But there were no records either before or after that time period. It was almost as if he just, appeared and was gone.

His cohorts never said anything about themselves either. What people knew of them was mostly from what they could piece together from records. Such was the case with Balosufuz, once known as Ian Fabulous. Records from one world show that he was arrested for the double murder of a woman and her fiancée. While Rutonfex had said that he had wiped the memory of the police about his crime, he had done no such thing. He merely said that to comfort his friend. It was still unknown, even to the Artisan himself, why he had done those things for not only Ian, but the girls as well. He didn't put much thought into it, shits and giggles and all that.

Sora and Kairi walked in silence over the dunes. The time was growing nearer. Soon, they came upon Chance. He merely stood in the sand, near to the shore, with his hands in his pockets swaying back and forth, still singing the same song he had been when he had left them earlier.

"_Fear no danger, shun no labor. Lift up rifle, pike and saber. To arms! To arms! To arms for Dixie. Shoulder pressing close to shoulder; let the odds make each Heart bolder. To arms! To arms! To arms for Dixie!_"

When he noticed that the kids had arrived he stopped.

"Good. You're here." He said, his fang-like smile still plastered on his face.

"Yeah." Sora replied "So where's everybody else?"

"Hello?" Chance said in a mocking tone "You ordered them up into orbit remember? You were gonna call them down today? Jesus, you forget already? Whatever, doesn't matter anyway."

Reaching into his inner jacket pocket, the Heartless pulled out a walky-talky. Pressing the button on the side, he spoke into it. "Breaker breaker, this here's the Rubber duck c'mon."

"Wot the bloody 'ell are ya talkin' about?" a familiar slurred voice said on the other end.

"Just get your limey ass down here you drunken son of a bitch."

"Ah, now that I can understand."

Chance put the walky-talky back into his coat pocket.

"And now we play the waiting game." He said.

The three stood in silence for an almost agonizingly long time.

"Well," Chance said, finally breaking the silence "This is it. Want to back down now?"

"Not on your life." Replied Sora with a determined look. He was ready to go. There was no time for backing out now.

"That's what I want to hear." Said the Heartless. Turning his attention to Kairi, he said "What about you Princess? You got no personal stake in this potentially suicidal mission?"

"Potentially…" Sora intercut, but Chance held up a finger.

"You can talk to your little girlfriend when I'm done." He replied.

"And that's another thing…" Sora began again, but Chance merely pulled his fingers across his lips in a "zip it" motion.

"Aggh!" Sora shouted as he threw his hands up in the air and walked away from Kairi and Chance. That man, that thing, was probably the most annoying being in all creation. And he probably knew it too. He just didn't care. Oh no. Just as long he kept himself amused, who cared what anybody else thought or felt. Nope, he had to be entertained above anything else in life. Sora hadn't ever seen such a high level of self-centeredness in any other being before. He had heard that Beast had been almost the same, but he tried to grow out of it. Well, he had the handicap of a curse that turned him into a monster, but he still tried to get over his selfishness.

But Chance was already a monster of sorts and he still didn't care. Whoever he had been before he became the creature that stood before them must have been the loneliest person in all the Worlds. And he probably didn't care.

Sora walked further away from them, but not so much as he couldn't keep them in his line of sight. At least once the mission was done, he would, hopefully, never see the Heartless ever again. And maybe, and this was an incredibly dark hope for the Champion of Light, Chance would get killed on the mission. After all, how important could he be to its success?

He never got to complete that thought, as he soon found himself enveloped by darkness. Almost immediately he knew what it was. But he had no time to shout before that door to darkness sucked him out of that world.

**XIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIII**

The ship landed with a thud and with a hiss, the door opened, as fog spewed out of it. The four otherworldly heroes stepped out of the ship and looked around.

"Roight Mr. Chance," Said Cap'n Jack "We shovin' off? 'Member, just keep me alive long enough to gather as much treasure as I kin hold in me hands, pockets, shoes, hat, pants, etcetera, etcetera."

"Alright we get it." Jack Skellington said, slightly exasperated "Gold, silver, shiny things. You ever think there's more to life?"

"Rum?" the Pirate said "Women? Freedom. All comes from being a pirate."

"What about the simple pleasure of scaring the living bejeezus out of someone?"

"Cannons off the starboard bow." Replied the captain "Works every time. 'Cept that one time. And the time before that. And that one other time…it worked one time."

"You have got to be the worst pirate I've ever heard of." Said Beast as Hercules nodded.

"Ah," said Jack holding up a finger "But you have heard of me."

"Not before yesterday."

"Everyone 'members the first time they cross paths with the famous Cap'n Jack Sparrow." He replied with a smile, showing off several gold and rotting teeth.

"You are delusional." Said Beast pointing a finger at the pirate.

Jack beamed.

"Thankya very much!"

Beast rolled his eyes.

"Do you even know what delusional means?"

"'Course!" said the Pirate "It means something like…well I think…maybe…it's a compliment I'm sure of that much."

"The doctor would have a field day with this one." The Pumpkin King said in an aside to Hercules.

"Definitely." The hero nodded "I haven't seen anyone this full of themselves since Narcissus himself. And even he could learn from this guy."

"Well, ol' Jack has a lot of lessons he can supply." Said the Cap'n, who had really only heard the last part of Hercules' statement "Granted I'm not exactly the greatest teacher there is, but I have a lot I can pass on."

The remaining three just rolled their eyes, or in Jack Skellington's case, made the similar motion. Jack remained back in the opening of the ship as they stepped off it and onto the sand.

"Wait!" the Pirate exclaimed and he reached into one of his many pockets and pulled out a keychain. Pressing a button on it, the ship closed its hatch and armor plating began coating everything on it.

"Can't be too secure." He said shoving the keychain back into his pocket and jogging up to join his comrades "Thieves are everywhere and as one meself I know how they think."

"Uh huh." The remaining three said and they all carried on in silence until they came to the dune where Chance and Kairi stood. But Sora was no where in sight.

"Where's the kid?" Jack Sparrow asked looking around.

"Why he's right…over…there…" Chance said looking towards the direction where Sora had walked, but finding that he no longer was there. "Okay, what the Hell kid? You get cold feet all of a sudden?"

"That doesn't sound like Sora." Kairi said defensively.

"'That doesn't sound like Sora'" Chance said, mockingly imitating her voice "It doesn't matter how he 'sounds', all that matters is what he _does_ and your fucktard boyfriend has cut and run."

"Alright enough of that!" she exclaimed "First off, he's not a…well; he's not what you called him. Second, he would never 'cut and run'. It's just not like him. And finally, he's not, repeat, not, my boyfriend."

There was a moment of silence after Kairi finished speaking.

"You done?" Chance said with his usual air of nonchalance "Good. I'm just listing the facts as I see them Princess. Nothing more. I ain't privy to the inner workings of your, and yes I'm going to say it because for all intents and purposes it's true, little boyfriend. I don't have a fucking clue as to how he thinks, but I can see that he's gone. It ain't like he just disappeared into thin air. He left us. So just get that through your thick little skull and we can be on our way."

Kairi's face seethed with anger. He had crossed the line from just plain annoying to actually trying to be hurtful. All those terrible things he said about Sora, and he didn't care. He was just smiling that crooked, creepy smile of his. It didn't matter about anyone else, just so long as he got what he wanted.

"Whatsamatter honey?" he said with a laugh "Too nice and sweet to come up with a proper comeback?"

Kairi screamed and her Keyblade appeared in her hand. Lunging forward she brought it down on the Heartless, knocking him into the sand.

"Whoa hey!" he said scrambling to get up "Let's not get hasty here!"

But she didn't listen to him, instead she brought the Keyblade down on him again, but he rolled out of the way. Still, she came after him and hit him in the chest with a kick. When he doubled over, down the Keyblade went on his back, pushing him to the ground once more.

"Alright! Enough is e-fucking-nough!" exclaimed Chance as he rushed to his feet. Reaching into his jacket, he pulled out one of his revolvers. "Bring it Princess!" he said cocking the hammer back "I dare you. C'mon! One…two…"

Before he could finish counting, Kairi pointed her Keyblade at the hand that was holding the gun and shouted "Fira!"

A medium sized ball of flame shot out of the tip and hit his hand, knocking the gun out of it.

"Fuck!" he shouted as he grabbed burned hand, his leather glove partially burnt off, revealing the dark claws that was his true hands, which now glowed red from the burns "Fuck! Fuck! Fuck! Jesus Christ! That really, really fucking hurts! Oh you're dead missy. You're real fucking dead now."

Using his other hand, he pulled the other gun out. Kairi was once again too quick. Aiming her weapon at the hand that now held a gun, she shouted "Blizzara!"

Ice shot out and froze his entire hand. The barrel of the gun could be seen sticking out of the ice, but he couldn't move his hand.

Chance's jaw dropped open as he violently shook his frozen hand in an attempt to thaw it out faster.

"You fucking bitch." He sneered as he continued to shake his hand "You little fucking bitch. I swear to the Lord above that I'm…"

Once again, he didn't get to finish. Kairi pointed her Keyblade in the air and shouted "Thundaga!"

Dark clouds formed above the Heartless' head. Turning it upwards, he instantly knew what was going to happen.

"Oh fuck." Was all he had time to say before a massive bolt of lightening came down on him. It happened so fast that others watching didn't get a good look at him. All they saw was the bolt come down with a thundering crash and him then slumping to the ground.

Kairi was about to rush forward and finish the job when Beast grabbed her.

"He's not worth it." He said easily restraining her, despite the fact that he was in his human form.

"But, what he said…" she exclaimed as she still struggled to get free.

"He's not worth you throwing yourself at him. Yes he's a real bastard, yes he said terrible things, but whether we like it or not, he's on our side. You can choose your enemies, but you can't always choose your allies."

"He's (cough) right you know." A strained voice came from the ground. Smoke still rising from him and a little flame on a piece of his hair, Chance rose from the ground. His once beige jacket was now burnt beyond all recognition, with portions of his sleeves hanging loose showing his dark gray turtleneck underneath. Licking two of his fingers, he reached up and extinguished the fire in his hair.

"Now that's an ass kicking I haven't had in a while." He said coughing up a combination of smoke, sand, and a blackish liquid that could only possibly be what his blood was now "Seriously."

Kairi just continued to give him a death stare. Even though Beast still held tight onto her, she wanted to rush in and finish the job.

"Okay, okay. Jesus, I'm sorry." Said Chance holding his arms up defensively, the lightening having melted the ice around his hand "Can we at least be civil from now on? You may not have to like me, but at least work with me a little. And I promise that as soon as this done, you can hunt me down and whack me around like the black tennis ball that I am."

Kairi allowed her herself to loosen up, just enough to let Beast let go of her. With a look of anger still on her face, she walked up to the Heartless. She came right up to him, looking up at him slightly, as there was only a four inch difference in height between them. He cringed a little, but only saw that she held out her hand.

"Sorry for flying off the handle back there." She said apologetically "But what you said…"

"Yeah, I have that effect on people." He replied taking her hand and shaking it "Just one of my odd personality quir…"

He didn't finish as a look of absolute shock, pain, and embarrassment came on his face. When he had taken her hand, one her knees had made contact with a, rather sensitive area for a man, Heartless or Human.

Chance didn't say a word, but his face was twisted in pain as he dropped to the ground.

"Apology accepted." Kairi said with a smile as she practically skipped back to where the other four were.

"Any…one…got…a…potion?" the Heartless struggled to get out.

"Here." Replied Jack Sparrow as he threw a dusty dark glass bottle to him. His face still showing intense amounts of pain, Chance practically dragged himself by one of his hands to it, as the other one was holding onto his, injured area.

Finally reaching the bottle, he pulled the cork out with his teeth and spit it out. Lifting the bottle to his lips, he took a long draught, but it didn't take too long for him to find out what it really was.

"Rum?" he exclaimed before vomiting out more sand and his blackish blood.

"Good fer wot ails ya!" the Pirate said with a smile, as Hercules reached over and smacked him on the back of the head "Ow." He said rubbing the area.

"Here." Said Beast taking a green bottle out of his pocket and handing it out to Chance. The Heartless reached up to grab it, but the former Prince held back "Before you get this, let's get one thing straight, we don't like you. We didn't like your kind to begin with and now we personally don't like you. But like it or not, we need you in some capacity for this mission. Keep on your best behavior, for if you piss anyone of us off, well, you'll have to deal with the monster that lives inside me. Got it?"

He punched him in the face and threw the bottle on the ground. Picking it up and opening it, Chance shouted back to Beast as he walked off "Does anybody have a fucking sense of humor?"

Scowling, he lifted the bottle to his lips. Taking a long sip, he slowly got back on his feet.

"Alright." He said wiping the sand off his pants and walking back towards the group "You done trying to kill me? Everybody got that out of their systems? We cool? Are you gonna fucking answer me?"

No one answered. Instead, each and every single of their eyes were filled with fear.

"What is it this time?" Chance said as he turned around "Seriously, you're all start…"

His mouth dropped open when he saw portal after portal opening, as waves of Dusks exited from them.

"Oh shit." He said. Catching a glint of silver in the distance, he ran over and grabbed his discarded gun, which had fallen out of his hand when Kairi hit him with a Fira ball. Cocking the hammer back with his thumb, he fired a shot at an oncoming Dusk. Purplish blood flew from its head when the bullet made contact and it fell to the ground. Close by, he saw his other gun and lunged for it, but the Dusks kept coming. Picking off as many as he could with the one revolver, he grabbed hold of the second one and began picking them off one by one.

"zzStopzz." A rather metallic drone said from one of the Dusks. It appeared to be a leader of sorts, as it held up one of it's tentacle like arms and the rest stopped advancing. The portals also closed. Crowded on the beach were maybe around 500 Dusks.

"zzUnderzz ze orderzzz of hizzzz Imperial Majezzzty, you are all underzz e-rezzzzt. ZZumbmit or be dezzztroyed."

"Like fuck we are!" Chance shouted and he fired a bullet into the leader's head. It crumbled to the ground. The Heartless turned his head towards the others. "Well?" he shouted "Get them!"

And soon a battle royale of Human, Skeleton, demi-god, Heartless and Nobody began.

**XIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIII**

Once again, Sora found himself standing in the middle of the purple and red mass of color that was Betwixt and Between. Since anything could happen within this pocket dimension, Sora drew out his Keyblade and held it at the ready. He wasn't going to be caught unaware in this place.

This was certainly a new and interesting development. But a burning question in the back of the Keyblader's mind was _is Chance involved in any way_?

Who was to say? The creature wasn't trustworthy. Oh sure, he appeared to be on their side, united with them due to a common enemy, but who was to say that he didn't have any ulterior motives?

Of course, this was crazy. If Chance wanted him harmed, he had a better opportunity to do so the night before. But then, by sending him to this pocket dimension, his hands are clean. Whatever dwelt in this psychedelic realm would be the one who finished the job.

But whatever he thought, it proved once again that this particular Heartless offered much more questions than he did answers.

"Story of my life." Sora muttered. And that it was, ever since that day a year in the past when Kairi woke him up on the beach to begin preparations for their raft.

As he paced around the area, largely because there, there was no direction. There was only down, and that was because there had to be something to plant his feet on. But right, left, forward, backward, they were non-existent. While Sora did recognize it from his brief time there on the way to the Castle That Never Was, he wasn't there long enough to get acquainted with the rules of this dimension.

"I guess that's long enough." A familiar, yet somewhat different voice said. Turning around, Sora found himself face to face with…himself.

Well, not entirely. While body proportions and the face were the same, the difference lay in the hair. Whereas Sora's was brown and somewhat spiky, his doppelganger's was instead an almost dirty blonde and was tamed more considerably. Still, there was no mistaking who this was.

"You!" sneered Sora with as much hatred and anger as he could possibly fit into his voice.

"And a fine 'how do you do' to you too." Replied Roxas with a calm smile.

"Great just great." Exclaimed Sora "Here I'm thinking that that idiotic Heartless was behind all this and instead I'm stuck with my evil twin. Perfect."

"I guess narcissism is truly an undervalued trait." Roxas replied.

"Just shut up." Sora said shaking his head "Believe me; it's taking an incredible amount of self-control to keep me from just blasting you into the far levels of oblivion."

"And you say that to your basic reflection. A psychologist would have a field day with that one."

"Hardy-har-har." Sora said sarcastically "I'm rolling with laughter."

Roxas just shrugged.

"Whatever. Doesn't matter much anyway. In fact, I think the Dusks should be arriving any minute now."

Roxas took note of Sora's confused expression.

"Yep, this is nothing but a distraction. Right now, wave after wave of perfect soldiers are swooping down on the beach to take care of your little group of friends. They may be good, but they're not that good."

"If you were really me," Sora said "You'd know that I trust them completely."

"Ever hear of something called the sub-conscious?" Roxas said "Fascinating thing really. Theory holds that all our thoughts and feelings come from it. While on the top of your head you say 'they are the best that's ever been', deep down, in a part that you don't know about, you're thinking 'they absolutely suck.' Deep down, everyone is incredibly self-centered. The key is to find the ones that acknowledge it."

"That you or your mentor talking?" Sora said with a scowl "I'm gonna have to say it's him."

"And why's that?" his doppelganger said with an even wider smile "Is it because I'm you and you know that you'd never say, let alone think, those things? Is that it? Did I get it right? I'm thinking I did."

Sora said nothing, but instead swung his Keyblade over towards his Nobody. But as quickly as he brought it over, Roxas's twin weapons came out and blocked it.

"And here comes the true test of strength." He said as he struggled to hold the lock he had on Sora's Keyblade "Original and copy, locked in mortal combat. Let's do this!"

Roxas broke the grapple and Sora slid across the void and adopted a defensive position. Drawing his Keyblades back in, Roxas unzipped his cloak and threw it to the side. He then rolled up the sleeves of his black buttoned down shirt. He then folded his arms across his chest.

_What's he doing?_ Thought Sora as he waited for Roxas to make a move _He's just standing there!_

Seeing that it was what could have been a rare opportunity, Sora rushed forward with his weapon. Adopting a smirk, Roxas waved one of his arms and a bright white light flashed in front of him and Sora. When it cleared, Sora found himself standing alone. Roxas had disappeared from in front of him. Or so it would seem, for soon, twin Keyblades came down on Sora knocking him to the ground.

Turning to his back, he saw Roxas standing over him, preparing to bring his weapons down again. Sora brought his Keyblade up to block them and then rolled out of the way.

Roxas leapt into the air and back flipped his way in front of Sora. Sora then lifted his Keyblade and shouted "Firaga!"

The blast hit Roxas in the chest and knocked him off balance. Sora then slid into his double's legs knocking him to the ground. Sora stood up and swung his weapon down. Roxas blocked it with one of his Keyblades and used the other one to swing at Sora. Dodging out of the way, it allowed Roxas time to jump up.

The two lifted their Keyblades and simultaneously shouted "Thundaga!"

Twin bolts of lightening came down and hit them, knocking them both to the ground. Sora managed to recover first and ran towards Roxas. But the Key of Destiny got up and threw another light flash at Sora. Learning his lesson from the first time, Sora looked behind him after the flash, but Roxas wasn't there either. Instead, he came down from above, landing on Sora's shoulders.

Taking hold of his legs, Sora flipped him off his back and onto the ground. Turning back, he swung his Keyblade down on him again and again, as Roxas blocked each swing with alternating Keyblades.

On the last swing down, Roxas rolled out of the way and leapt to his feet.

"Blizzaga!" Sora yelled when he saw his double get up. Roxas ducked as the giant ball of ice came flying towards him.

"Two can play this game!" he shouted back to his opponent. Holding Oblivion out, he shouted "Firaga!"

The fire ball came flying out of it. Sora barely managed to leap over it, when Roxas came at him in the air, swiping him in the side with one of them as he did.

Both landed in crouched positions. There was a second or two pause and soon Sora fell to his knees and then finally to the ground.

Roxas's face turned white as he saw it happen. Running over, he turned his Other onto his back. Both his eyes were closed, but as soon as he was on his back, they shot open.

"Firaga!" Sora shouted and the blast hit Roxas point blank in the stomach. The Nobody went flying across the void, as Sora jumped up and ran to catch up to him.

Roxas hit the ground and Sora arrived a second later and managed to propel him into the air with his Keyblade. Juggling him around with the weapon as though he were beach ball, Roxas had no opportunity to defend himself.

Soon, he was able to launch a single "Fira" blast at Sora, breaking the Keyblader's concentration and causing him to drop the Nobody. But that was just a momentary distraction, as shortly after, Sora came running at him. This time Roxas was ready for him. Blocking with one Keyblade and slashing with another, he got Sora on the defensive again.

The two moved back and forth across the void. Roxas a bit of an advantage with his duel Keyblades, as he could block with one while striking with the other, but Sora was still able to hold his own with his singular weapon. He got a couple of good hits in, but so did his double. Strike, block, break, strike again, over and over they went. Neither one could gain dominance over the other. Every so often, the recurring pattern of swordplay would be broken with a "Firaga" or "Thundaga", but each time the spell was cast, the intended recipient would manage to dodge it and the swordplay would continue again.

That was when Sora decided it was time to end this. While he had his Keyblade locked together with both of Roxas', he reached his foot over and kicked him in the shin. Roxas' concentration dropped for a second and that was all Sora needed.

With a heavy swing, the Keyblade came down on Roxas' head. The Nobody crumpled to the ground, his Keyblades down at his side. Before he could lift one of them up, Sora stamped hard on his hand, forcing him to drop the weapon. He tried to bring the other up to attack Sora, but the Keyblader blocked it and knocked it out of his hand.

"It's over." Said Sora holding his Keyblade to Roxas' throat "Double or not, I'll end this for good. I got along fine without you for a year. I don't need you."

Sora raised his weapon and was about to swing across the Nobody's neck when Roxas held up a hand.

"Alright, alright!" he said desperately "You win! Just…just let me live! I'll show you the way to the throneworld! Just don't kill me!"

Sora lowered his Keyblade and looked at the creature that lay before him.

"Pathetic." Replied Sora, who dropped his weapon to his side and lifted Roxas up by his collar "Fine. Open the portal, call off the Dusks and get my friends and Chance out of there."

"Whatever you ask." Said Roxas and he waved his arm, opening two different black portals. Sora dropped the Nobody and went over to them.

"Left one takes you to the beach," Roxas said rubbing the hand that Sora had stepped on "Right one takes you to the castle. I'll keep them open as long as necessary."

"You swear?" Sora said drawing his Keyblade and pointing it right at Roxas.

"Honest!" he replied. Sora still looked skeptically at him. "Look, if you just think of me as an extension of yourself you'll know the truth."

"An extension of myself?" exclaimed Sora "No. You're nothing short of a crime against nature. You were that to begin with and it's even more obvious now given the ungodly way you were brought back into this World. I don't see myself when I see you. I see a perversion, a twisted reflection. You're not me. You never were. Because I'd never join that sick twisted group willingly. And that goes for both of them."

"You don't know the full story…" Roxas began, but Sora cut him off.

"I don't need to." He said "Your actions speak for themselves. I don't know what corner of my mind you stemmed from, but I'm glad it's gone now. You're stuck with the choices you made. Enjoy your so-called life, if it can be even called that."

Sora stepped through the left portal, leaving Roxas all by himself in the void, maintaining the portals. As soon as the last trace of Sora was gone from his sight, Roxas sat down, placed his head between his knees and cried.

**XIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIII**

Kairi brought her Keyblade down on another Dusk, while three more came towards her. Bringing it up to her face, she prepared to take them, when three shots rang out and they fell to the ground.

"You're welcome." Chance said as he swung his guns over to more Dusks.

"I didn't ask for your help." She responded as she sliced through more of them.

"And yet I gave it to you." He said still shooting "Look, I'm over your little knee to the balls things now, at least you could get over the things I said."

"It's not just…THAT!" replied Kairi swinging her weapon down on a Dusk on the final word "its other things as well."

"Like what?" he asked "Enlighten me Princess."

"We don't have time for that!" she said and she held her Keyblade out and shouted "Thundaga!" while lightening hit the five Dusks that were coming at her.

"Despite the battle raging around us we seem to have a good rapport going here. Watch it!" he fired and hit a Dusk that had just appeared behind Kairi "Whatsamatter Princess? Can't talk to the Heartless?"

"Just shut up before you end up on the other end of this Keyblade." She replied slicing through more and more of the oncoming Nobodies "Again."

"So much for absolute sweetness and light." Said Chance picking off a few more Nobodies. Although there initially seemed to be about 500 Dusks that had gathered on the beach, a few more had appeared. And kept appearing as the battle went on. But still the group was holding their own. Chance picked them off one by one with his revolvers, while Kairi and Jack Sparrow sliced through them with her Keyblade and his sword. Jack Skellington didn't have a weapon, but because his superior height and long reach, he was able to keep any and all Nobodies that attacked him at bay. Beast hadn't changed into his monstrous form, so he was stuck practically defenseless. Luckily he was able to punch, kick and wrestle any Dusk that came his way, until Hercules threw him his sword, which he didn't need. For the demi-god used his tremendous strength to bash Nobody after Nobody together.  
It was unknown how long the battle lasted, but soon the Dusks stopped attacking. They began walking away from the combatants as portals opened up and they stepped through them. After a short period, only the original group remained on the beach.

"Well, that was weird." Said Jack Sparrow putting his sword back in his sheath "One second they're attackin' us and then they jest up 'n' quit. I ain't complainin' or anything, but it's still just a lil odd."

"They're gone. That's all that matters." Replied Beast cracking his neck.

But just as they were coming down from the battle, another black portal opened in front. Each one raised their weapons in preparation for another attack, but none of them could have anticipated who stepped out.

"Sora!" Kairi yelled, her voice filled completely with happiness as she ran up and threw her arms around her.

"Well whatyadda know." Chance said rubbing his chin after putting his revolvers away "Guess you didn't run after all."

"What?" said Sora getting out of Kairi's arms.

"Never mind." She replied "I took care of it."

"Fuck yeah you did." Muttered Chance under his breath, still feeling a slight twinge of pain in that certain area.

"Whatever. C'mon. I managed to get us a portal to their homeworld."

"Seriously?" said Chance surprised "How in the Hell did you manage that?"

"Doesn't matter. Let's go!"

Sora led them all through the portal. As they passed through the void, Kairi noticed that someone else was just standing there next to the portals with a hollow, haunted look.

"Is that…" she began to point out, but Sora cut her off.

"It's unimportant. C'mon."

So the group went through the last portal, save for Chance, who went up to Roxas.

"Looks you ended up on the other end of an ass kicking as well." He said with his usual smile.

"Yeah." The Nobody said quietly.

"Heh." Laughed the Heartless "Well, thanks for it. Everything's going perfectly now!"

And he began laughing maniacally as he stepped through the portal.

Since he was the last of the group to enter the swirling darkness, Roxas closed the portals up and walked away from the area where they had been. Silently he picked up his discarded cloak and put it on, but didn't zip it up. He just let it hang open at his sides.

Well, at least he succeeded in what he set out to do. He just wished that it didn't turn out quite how it did. But he couldn't change Sora's feelings. And the Keyblader was right in a way, what else was Roxas but a twisted reflection of Sora?

As far as he could remember, the happiest times he ever knew were that blissful week in the virtual Twilight Town. There he was just a normal kid with absolutely nothing to worry about. But the Organization began intruding in on that and the puppet master had decided to end it. It was never for his happiness anyway. It was just to keep him nice and quiet while he returned Sora's memories. And when they did, Roxas returned to become one with Sora, but they still weren't complete. When a Nobody and their Other join to form the singular being they once were, the imprints of both personalities, if they developed differently, and memories are present in the one being. Sora still was the same as he had always been, as if Roxas had never existed at all.

It was both a blessing and a curse when Rutonfex brought him back into the Universe. While he existed again, it was at the cost of Sora's health and sanity. And then there were the Artisan's plans for him. Roxas didn't have a clue as to what he was actually like, but he managed to get a good impression of him. In a way, he reminded him of a smiling version of Xemnas and if he was anything like the Superior, Roxas knew that he wouldn't be allowed to leave easily. And so, he decided to join him. Just for a little bit. It was either that or complete oblivion and no matter altruistic feelings he might have, self-preservation is the dominant trait of any species.

He also couldn't make it look like he was being forced into it. So with a smile on his face, he pretended that the Artisan was offering him everything he could possibly ever want, when deep down that Nobody could never even come close to the truth. Roxas also had to keep the act going.

He learned one important thing from his time with Rutonfex. While he had the immense power of Mind, like all other powers he had to consciously think to use it. It made scheming against him slightly easier, but not by much.

The Roxas that was always at the side or acting on behalf of the Artisan was nothing more than a façade. He didn't think the way he acted, but he knew that it was the attitude that Rutonfex wanted him to have. And if it seemed out of character to some, well, did it matter? As far as Roxas was concerned he didn't have a real identity to call his own. To Rutonfex and his cohorts, he was just another one of them, right down to the personality. And then Sora made it clear what he thought of him. And neither one was the real Roxas.

That Roxas only came out in the one area he thought of as home, Twilight Town. Early on, during the beginning days of the Empire, he had gone there to find Hayner, Pence, and Olette, maybe try and rekindle the friendship. Instead, they reacted with horror when they saw him and ran. Although he wasn't wearing the cloak, he had on his street wear, they still knew his face. And that's when the Dusks got them.

Rutonfex showed up too and him still believing in the façade that Roxas had set up, he brought him to the place where all those captured by his shock troops went. That's where Roxas discovered the terrible truth about what the Artisan wanted over all.

Then and there he decided he was going to bring the Artisan down. Problem was, he had no clue on how to do so. He had no allies within the group. Nazro and Balosufuz were absolutely and completely devoted to the Artisan, while Azrol was probably the most passive person in the World. They were to be no help to him.

So the façade stayed up and he tried to plan. He did learn another limit to the powers of the Artisan. If he was to use his powers on a person, they had to be nearby, at least within a mile. Any further than that and their mind was closed to him.

So on the clock tower in Twilight Town, he planned. Above all else, he knew he needed Sora in on this. But he couldn't just approach him, what he refused on the grounds that it was Roxas who did the asking? No, he had to act when Sora himself did and knowing his other, it was only a matter of time.

Months passed and Sora did nothing. Roxas resigned himself to his fate. He couldn't move himself. The task was much too daunting. But as soon as he caught wind of Sora's activities during a routine sweep of the island, it was time to put the plan into action.

Sending an initial wave of Dusks out as a test, he was surprised to see the power of the Heartless who joined him. He watched stealthily as the Heartless convinced Sora to join him in this attack and saw how Sora agreed.

Of course, he had to make it look like he wasn't behind it all. Adducting Sora and using his Rutonfex façade, he goaded him into a fight, all while sending out a Dusk army to distract the others so that him and Sora would be uninterrupted. He held back a little during the fight, he was supposed to lose after all. Roxas almost dropped character during that one time when he thought he had killed Sora. That wasn't what he wanted. He pulled as many punches as he could, for he knew he could have done a lot more, but Sora fought with blazing fury. His entire body ached with pain; he'd have to down a hyper-potion as soon as he got back to the castle.

Of course he didn't send the group directly there. That would be too obvious. Rutonfex would understand the misdirection, but if he sent them directly to Cognito's Keep, then that would tip off the somewhat paranoid Artisan. No, keep them slightly off.

He sent them instead to the one place that would help them further his cause. After all, only one completely devoid of any sense of morality couldn't see anything wrong with what the Artisan was doing there.

And he hoped to gain an ally in the prison's warden. From the moment he saw him, he knew who he was. But every time he tried to approach him, he fled. There was no way he could reach him, so maybe he could get Sora and company to do so. Besides, Roxas knew that there was a certain prisoner there who would definitely prove to be an asset.

The success or failure of the next portion of the plan required that his old friend would do the right thing. And deep down, Roxas knew that he would. Or so he hoped.

**XIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIII**

The first thing Sora felt when he stepped out of the portal was cold. And it wasn't just the cold of a slight breeze; it was the icy chill of a dark winter night, which is precisely what it was.

Looking at the sky from the bluff that overlooked a city below, Sora saw ice fall in sheets upon the ground. But up in the sky, a familiar sight greeted Sora.

Shining its light down onto the icy wasteland, Kingdom Hearts glowed, but it wasn't as bright as it used to be. It had recovered slightly from when Ansem attempted to encode it into data five months earlier, but not by much. It seemed that no more Hearts were being released to form it. And that was an alteration to the fundamental laws of the Universe.

But Sora didn't notice that fact. He just took in the fact that he was once again standing in the World That Never Was. And contrary to any thoughts, it was proven that this was not the throneworld of Cognito. They had already established themselves on a hidden base before they claimed the remnants of this shell of a World.

"He tricked us!" Sora exclaimed slamming his Keyblade down on a chunk of ice.

"Here? Again?" Kairi asked as she stepped out of the portal and took in the sight of the diminished Kingdom Hearts.

"I knew I couldn't take him at his word!" shouted Sora angrily "I knew he would do something like this. He's trapped us on this iceball of a World as some sort of sick joke. Oh yeah Roxas, real funny."

The rest of the group stepped out of the portal, save for Chance, as he was slightly behind. No one noticed yet though.

"Well guys." Sora said holding his arms out "Here we are! The throneworld of a group I already took down! Take it in! Isn't it spectacular?"

"Well, the weather is nice." Said Chance as he stepped out of the portal "Ditto for the atmosphere. I could definitely see myself getting a place here."

"And here we are!" Sora said, his voice dripping with faux-excitement "The one guy, no I take that back, creature, who got us into this mess! Give us a bow Chance! You've earned it!"

"No need to get sarcastic." The Heartless replied.

"No need? No need?" Sora instantly started laughing. And it wasn't a pleasurable one to hear either. It was the laugh of someone who had taken as much as they could possibly take. "No need. Just no need." He said shaking his head.

"Sora…" Kairi said placing a hand on his shoulder.

"I'm fine Kairi!" he said through the laughter "I'm better than I've been in a while! Everything is absolutely perfect!"

"Well that's good ta hear." Jack Sparrow said with a smile, leading Hercules to try and smack him on the back of the head again. He ducked, and when he popped up again, he was still smacked.

"Yep." Sora continued "Everything is peachy keen! I've had my Heart ripped from my chest; my best friend has been captured by the enemy; I'm allied with a Heartless of all people, and I'm standing in a place far removed from where I actually want to be! Oh yeah! Things are looking up!"

He continued his maniacal laugh. Kairi began to seethe at what she was seeing. He had finally snapped. She had thought that he was stronger than this, but in the end, it finally happened. And she hated it.

Bringing out her Keyblade, she lifted it above her head and brought it down on Sora's head. He fell to the ground.

"Heh, heh, ah Kairi!" he said with a massive smile "Not you too! Oh, Kairi, Kairi, Kairi…"

He brought his Keyblade out and used it to block the next blow from her.

"Don't even try." Said Sora, the smile still on his face "I taught you everything you know about the weapon, there's nothing you can do with it that I haven't taught…"

He didn't get a chance to finish his sentence, as Kairi kicked him square in the face.

"Just snap out of it!" she shouted at him "We're getting no where with this! What happened to the Sora who could make the best out of a bad situation?"  
"And I keep reminding you that he's dead." Replied Sora getting up "Dead and gone baby and I'm all that's left."

"Aggh!" she yelled and she kicked him once again, this time in the place where Roxas had earlier slashed him. Of course, she didn't know that, but the pain still made its point.

"I thought I had gotten through to you earlier." She said standing over him "I defended you when he" she pointed over at Chance who just waved "Began saying hurtful things about you. And you what hurts the most? He may have been right. You're chickening out. You probably planned this from the start and you know what? I'm done. That's it. I'm done. Figure your own way home, as I'm going after them. They did this to you. It's all them!"

"Right on sister!" Chance said with a laugh. She turned around and glared at him.

"And if you don't shut up you're getting a worse beating than before. Oh yes, it can get much, much worse. Care to try me?"

Chance's smile dropped from his face and he slinked away sheepishly. Kairi then walked away from the crumpled wreck that was Sora.

"Kairi…" he said weakly.

"What now?" she said turning sharply around "What do you have to say now?"

"I'm…I'm sorry." Sora still said softly, all traces of laughter gone "It's just…it's just…"

"Shh." She said going up to him and helping him up off the ground "I know. But every once in a while, you need someone to get you in the right direction. I guess that's me."

"Yeah. You're right." Replied Sora with a smile, a more sincere one, not the almost insane one he wore earlier.

"You done? Is this Oprah-esque moment finished?" Chance said impatiently from far in the back "Cuz we got a revolution to complete."

Sora said nothing, but walked over and punched Chance right in the face. The Heartless staggered a bit.

"Okay, okay, once again, does everyone have 'let's kill the Heartless' feelings out of their systems?" he said rubbing his nose.

"I waited a long time to do that." Sora replied walking back over to Kairi. Standing next to each other, they walked down the hill and towards the city as the rest of the group followed. It was unknown what they would face inside the city again, but all were ready for it.

They soon reached the outskirts of the city and stood staring at a monolith of sorts. There seemed to be a plaque with an inscription on it, but it was frozen over with the constant cold and ice, so it was illegible.

Chance walked over and with one of his gloved hands, wiped the ice away from the plaque.

"_Arbeit mach frei_." He read aloud and then he rubbed his chin "Interesting. Very interesting indeed."

"And whys that?" Sora asked.

"Well, the phrase itself means something along the lines of 'work will set you free' in German. Normally, a very innocuous saying, but the fact that this exact phrase is used here is somewhat chilling."

"I don't exactly see how the meaning behind a phrase could be chilling." Sora replied.

"Well this one should. After all, it was the exact phrase that was on the gates of Auschwitz."

The Heartless said no more and turned and walked into the city, leaving the rest of the group to follow him, bewildered by what he had said.

TO BE CONTINUED…

_Here we are! Born to be kings!  
We're the Princes of the Universe!  
Here we belong,  
Fighting to survive in a world with the darkest powers.  
_- "Princes of the Universe" Queen

A/N: Finally! It's done! Whew, this one took a while. I believe I typed the first word on December 20 and then worked on it on and off. Most of it was written in the past few days.

If this is anyone's chapter, I'd have to say it was Kairi's. I didn't intend for her to take the spotlight, but it happened and I'm happy with it. From the chapter title, it was supposed to be more about Sora and Roxas, but she ended up stealing the show. Even though Chance is probably my favorite OC, I still felt happy when Kairi kicked his ass. Cuz, come on, you know he deserved it.

And Roxas is working against Cognito from the inside. I tried to reconcile actual canon with what I had planned for the story and I think I did an alright job. It's just that when I initially plotted this, Roxas was evil. He knowingly and willingly worked for the Artisan. Why? Mostly it was because it gave Sora a more personal villain. And in a way, my slightly more canonical characterization still does, but the feeling isn't mutual.

And what does Rutonfex have going on in the World That Never Was? It's were everyone who's been captured by the Dusks went and if you know your history, you may be able to warrant a guess from my little clue. History majors shouldn't have this kind of imagination.

The song Chance is singing is one version of the song "Dixie". Yeah, I'm a massive Civil War buff, so I'm constantly referencing it. The "Revolution of 1860" is actually a quote from the December 20, 1860 Charleston Mercury where they talked about South Carolina's secession. But on the version of "Dixie" that I used, the lyrics are somewhat appropriate for this story. Once again, History majors shouldn't have this kind of imagination. We can reference crazy historical things within our art.

Anyway, enjoy. Next to chapter 11, this is the best chapter I've written. Hope you like it.

The Magnificent Tim Fortune 1/7/09 9:49 PM (It's still night, but it ain't after midnight.)


	21. A Dead World, A Dark Path

**Tim Fortune**

**Presents**

**KINGDOM HEARTS: COGNITO**

**Act III Scene VI: A Dead World, A Dark Path**

Down into the dead city they went. Freezing rain fell from the sky and added a chill into the air, which did not suit Sora or Kairi, who had just come from the tropics.

"Seriously." Sora said looking around "What is it with this guy and cold? Does there have to be a snowstorm on every World he owns? This is just nuts."

"Never try to understand the motives of strange people." Chance said looking back at him.

"Are you familiar at all with rhetorical questions?"

"Of course." The Heartless replied.

"Good. Then shut it."

"My, my." Said Chance turning his head around "What a temper."

They didn't know how long they walked through the streets of the Dark City. Corner after corner they walked, their shadows projected on the walls of the city from the waning light of Kingdom Hearts.

They remained silent as they walked. They just became part of the unnatural stillness of the World. Life didn't exactly flourish here to begin with, but it just seemed more lifeless. Maybe it was the freezing rain that fell from the Heavens; maybe it was the dim light of an ordinarily bright moon, who knew? But whatever it was, the party of heroes grew increasingly heightened as they walked through alleyway after alleyway.

All that is, except Chance. His usual idiotic smile never left his face. And this was compared to Jack Sparrow, who quite possibly lived in a world of his own, was also increasingly on edge. Not the Heartless. He just walked forward with a smile on his face. He even removed his sunglasses and the combination of his smile with his yellow orbs of eyes made him seem like a demon from the depths of Hell. Which of course, he technically was, considering that he was a Heartless and all.

Soon, he broke the silence of the group by humming, followed soon after by whistling, too him throwing his arms out and singing!

"_I know where the stars glow! Skies unclouded, sweet the water runs my friend! But Noldor, blood is on your hands! Tears unnumbered, you will shet and dwell in pain!_"

"Wot the bloody 'ell are ye singin' fer?" asked Jack Sparrow going up to him "Ye want ta attract attention ta us? Ye want ta get us killed…potentially?"

"What?" replied the Heartless, showing off more of his slightly fanged yellow teeth "I'm in a good fucking mood. Don't ruin it."

"How kin ye be in such a state? We're in the middle of a freezin' wasteland!"

"Correction!" said Chance holding up a finger "We're in the middle of a freezing _city_. There's a difference."

"You're an ass, ya know that?"

"Meh." He shrugged and returned to whistling. Jack fell back towards the others.

"My god." The pirate said "What is with this guy?"

"Been trying to figure that out since he first showed up." Replied Sora "Seriously, this guy is just plain nuts. How exactly can he be enjoying this?"

"Well, it's not all bad." Piped in Jack Skellington "All this snow, it reminds me of Christmas Town. But, you know, in a perverse, evil, unsettling sort of way."

"Not helpin' mate." Jack Sparrow said.

"At least I'm trying to keep a cheery disposition." Answered the Pumpkin King.

"Pretty easy when you're supposed ta be fear incarnate in land prob'ly filled with creepy, crawly monsters."

"I'll have you know that some of my best friends are creepy, crawly monsters."

"Good fer ye mate." Replied the pirate "Diversity is the flavour of life I s'pose. 'Sides, got nuthin' against ye mate. I used ta be a skeleton meself."

"Uh-huh." Jack said as he nodded his head.

"Wot? Ye don't believe me? Just ask Sora. He saw the whole thing." Going up to the Keyblader, he added "Tell 'im, kid. There was the curse and then that creepy, crawly and the black hooded guy and the pendulum and having to collect the coins and wot not. Twas a good time."

"Yeah." Was all Sora said as he and Kairi walked side by side by, just behind Chance, who, while not leading the way, had made his way to the front of the group. The group as a whole was unsure of where they were going, but Sora and Kairi at least tried to steer the direction towards the Organization's former castle.  
Its massive towers loomed over the buildings, but to everyone else, it just resembled the rest of the skyline, nothing special about it.

Granted, it was known to be abandoned. Maleficent and Pete put up quite a struggle when Cognito came to claim this dead world as theirs, for whatever twisted reasons their madman of a leader had. There was no real reason to head towards it, other than it being a familiar sight.

Sort of. Yes, they could see the castle, but it wasn't the usual view of it. From what the two Keybladers could gather, they were on the other side of the great pit that the castle hovered above. They had no clue as to what was on this side, but after God knows how long of wandering, they hadn't found anything. Maybe the castle would have something useful in it, like a portal that could lead to the real throneworld of Cognito.

Of course they kept wandering around with that as an eventual endpoint just in case they found something like that before they reached the castle.

"Some revolution this is." Beast said, somehow in the form of a growl showing that some of his more animalistic tendencies weren't completely gone "We've been wandering around this frozen Hell hole for hours and have nothing to show for it."

"Ye're jest impatient is all." Jack Sparrow replied "Ye wouldn't last long on a ship. Imagine this, but for days or even months of general inactivity."

"I'd rather shoot myself." He retorted.

"What were you expecting?" asked Hercules "We walk five minutes from our doorstep and bam! We're there?"

"Sounds like someone's been readin' too many books." The pirate added "Hence why I personally don't care for readin' a'tall. Fills yer mind with crazy notions."

"Like setting out on a ship to pillage and rob?" said Beast with an eye roll.

"Exactly!" Jack exclaimed. But a second later, the full meaning of the statement hit him. "No wait. That's not wot I meant."

Hercules left out a chuckle.

"At least you're good for a laugh." He said patting Jack on the back.

"It seems that everything you people say is an insult ta me," he remarked "You people and yer double-speak. Yer jest tryin' to bamboozle me or something. No more."

"Jeez, lighten up Jack." Sora said, turning his head around to the group.

"Ol' Jack is light enough thank you. But if these people are jest gonna keep throwin' insults my way…"

"You love the attention." Interrupted the Pumpkin King "That's why you haven't put a stop to it yet."

"I…" Jack held up one of his ringed fingers, but fell short, leaving his mouth hanging open.

"It's alright Captain." Said Sora falling back to the pirate "It's good to have you around."

"After all," Chance said from the front without turning around "We need the comic relief."

"S'long as I'm useful I guess." The pirate said with a shrug "Doesn't matter anyway. I'm jest in this fer the shiny things. I don't really care fer yer revolution."

"Suuuuure." Sora said with a smile. The pirate might not want to admit it, but there was some level of nobility under all that swagger and selfishness. It's just easier for one to pretend that they don't really care about anyone.

The group kept walking. Chance stayed at the front, just whistling, humming and singing to himself, while Sora and Kairi stayed a good distance behind them. Even though the Heartless was front, the two Keybladers still continued with their plan to end up near the castle. Of course, if they lost Chance along the way, well, who were they to complain? He'd just be one more Heartless wandering around the Dead city.

But that damned Heartless was determined to stay near the group.

"Having fun kiddies?" he said as he turned around and began walking backwards, his yellow, fanged smile wide across his face, making it look even more inhuman with his bright yellow eyes. He looked like he was just wearing a human mask. "I don't know about you, but I'm having a blast!"

"Of course." Sighed Sora. As much he wanted to be rid of him, Chance just stuck to him. It almost seemed easier now to just accept him. Even if he was an annoying asshole.

"Now I can't help but notice that while we may be wandering through alleyways and all," the Heartless said "We seem to be heading in the direction of yon Castle. Now enlighten me, is there any reason for that?"

"No." replied Sora.

"No?" repeated Chance "That's it? No? No explanation? No excuses? No nothing?"

"We're heading towards the castle just because it's familiar." Sora said attempting to remain calm "And if there's anything that could get us back on our true goal, it's probably there. But, we could run into anything here. That answer your question?"

"Meh." Shrugged Chance "I wasn't really looking for an answer. I just hate lulls in conversation. Or more specifically, I just hate not hearing the sound of my own voice."  
"You've got to be the most irritating, most annoying, most infuriating…" Sora began, but stopped when Kairi tapped him on the shoulder.

"Uh, Sora…" she said.

"What?" he replied "You're thinking the exact same thing I hope!"

"Look." She pointed in the distance. Because he had been so engrossed with talking to Chance, he didn't notice that not only had they exited the city proper and were now at the very foot of the castle, but had managed to not see that they now stood in front of a massive barbed wire fence.

The fence stretched on forever, completely parallel to the massive gorge that the Castle floated over. Behind it, shoddily built wooden huts filled most of the space and there seemed to be row after row of them. Outside the huts, people dressed in simple black coats just wandered aimlessly. If the group got closer to the fence, they would see that within the eyes of these people was complete and utter hopelessness.

"What…what is this?" Sora asked a looked of absolute confusion on his face.

Chance turned around and saw what every one else had. He merely let out a chuckle.

"_Arbeit mach frei_ indeed." He said.

"Huh?" said Sora.

"I already explained this." The Heartless said, moving his head in a manner that would suggest that he was rolling his pupilless eyes "That phrase was on the gates of Auschwitz."

"And that's supposed to have any significance?"

"Any signif…" Chance angrily spurted out "Jesus! What the Hell do you…" But he caught himself and calmed down "Duh! _That_ didn't happen here. So of course you wouldn't know. Well, let's just say that it was strikingly similar to this place."

"A prison." Kairi said softly.

"Bingo!" answered Chance.

"I wonder what these people did." Said Sora looking at the aimlessly wandering prisoners.

"If I had to guess," Chance said going up to him "I'd have to say absolutely nothing."

"Then why would they be imprisoned?"

"Remember what I said about not questioning the motives of strange people? The same principle applies."

"Well, why lock them up?" asked Sora "That doesn't make sense. If they're innocent, then they don't need to be there."

"Christ, if you only knew that history than it would be clearer." Chance said shaking his head "It would appear that our mad genius has a lot more going on than he wants everyone to know."

"So, when someone disappears," Sora said, a realization dawning on him "This is where they go?"

"Well, it's either here or a bullet in the back of the head." Chance said, a little too nonchalantly. Noticing the looks he was getting from the others, he added "What? Do I have to fucking sugar coat it? Either they were sent here or blam! C'mon! You're all thinking it!"

"I wasn't." Jack Sparrow piped in.

"Yeah, but you operate on a level that we mere mortals can't possibly comprehend."

"Er…thanks, I guess." The Pirate said scratching his head.

"It's a compliment Jack." Sora said to him. Looking to Chance, he said "Do you really not care about anything?"

With a shrug, the Heartless replied "Not really. Course, where I come from, selfishness is an admirable trait." But under his breath he added "Or at least that's what _he_ always wanted to jam down our throats."

Sora ignored that last comment. It wasn't really that relevant, but then again, when did Chance say anything important? Now more than ever it seemed that his presence was extraneous. There really wasn't anymore point to have this Heartless hanging around them. And it would be so easy to take him out. He had a Keyblade. It would be just that easy. But, he still did nothing. Sora didn't know why. What was keeping him from just bringing the full power of Light down on this creature of darkness? Was it the fact that he didn't really do anything and that he was just annoying? Was that a good enough reason to just snuff out his life? Probably not. Sure, if he directly attacked them, well then maybe it would be alright. But no. All he did was just stand around and make snide comments that only he found amusing. Sora longed for a Heartless that was nothing more than a brainless creature who attacked, not a conscious, irritating one. For the time being, he was stuck with him. The best he could hope for was for some Nobody to do the deed itself. Oh, how he hoped that that would happen soon.

Sora looked over and saw that Kairi was craning her neck to get a look at the prisoners inside the fence.

"What's going on?" he asked as she just kept moving her head.

"Over there." She replied, pointing in the general direction of where she was looking "That prisoner. Does he look at all familiar to you?"

"Doubt it, but I'll take a look."

Sora went up to the fence and looked over to where Kairi had pointed. He didn't think that anyone he knew would be here. Yes, it was terrible to think about the other possibility, but it was one of those things that he had accepted during his two month breakdown. But, still, he checked.

The prisoner merely sat on the stoop of one of the many makeshift huts, his silvery hair obscuring his face.

Wait, silvery hair? Could it…no. It couldn't. But…really?

"Riku?"

**XIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIII**

Another day of this. You'd think after a week, he'd have gotten used to it, but no. Just day after day of nil, only the oh so cheery thought of your own eventual death or something worse hanging over his head.

What happened to Riku was no different than what was going on with the other prisoners. They weren't there to work; there was nothing useful to produce. There was no factory or field to send them too, especially since the land was frozen over. It seemed that the only thing that lunatic wanted was to make them contemplate their own fates until the hammer fell.

For some, it gave a sense of false hope. They aren't doing anything with us, some would say, we'll be free in no time!

It was especially cruel to see the ones who expressed such opinions being carted off to the Castle where God knows what happened to them. Some went in with smiles on their faces, after all, just because no human besides the human guards ever came back out, that didn't mean there was an exit elsewhere in there.

For every cheerful smiling sort, there was the deeply cynical kind. While they had next to no clue as anyone, they refused to believe that they would just be "let go" as if nothing had happened. Sure, it would be fitting. After all, many imprisoned here didn't do anything at all. They might have made a few comments about the current "Emperor" or any one of his deranged followers and the next thing they knew, the Dusks swooped down and they found themselves here in this frozen wasteland underneath a waning Heart shaped moon, overlooked by a gigantic castle.

Despite what the desired effect was, most weren't intimidated by this, but having every move monitored by Dusks and other Humans, armed to the teeth with automatic weapons to show that while they were in the camp, they were not fucking around, tended to get to people. There were more than a few suicides here. Some from the realization that the only escape was in a body bag, some from the fact they just couldn't stand being watched all the time.

Of course, because of the castle, many felt this every time they went out into the yard. The warden of this prison camp lived up there and every so often, a prisoner would catch a glimpse of him in the window. They didn't see much, just an average sized man wearing the typical black cloak with his hood on, but it still kept people on edge. There was no way to tell what was going on in this man's mind. Did he genuinely enjoy what he was doing to the people below? Was it just a job to him and he tried not to think about it? What?

This was coupled with the fact that he never came down to the camp proper. All orders were given to the head guard and carried out thusly. He had the lives of many, many people in his hands and he stayed above it all, never interfering with them at all.

Thus was the life of a typical prisoner. He had been there only a week, but typical prisoner despair had already set in for Riku. He had no clue as to when anything at all would happen to him.

But that was maybe what Rutonfex wanted. It didn't help that they took away his Keyblade and that it was locked only yards away inside the Castle. He was defenseless and alone. Did anyone know he was here? He doubted it. No one ever came here. This was a dead world that had never had any importance to those on the outside, so why would they start visiting it now?

Besides, it was the perfect set up. The World That Never Was was a borderline Core World. With it so close to those key important worlds, few would ever think that their "Emperor" would have a prison camp there.

Of course, Rutonfex probably just put it there because he thought it would be cool. Like so many other things.

Riku knew the potential risks when he set out to take down the Artisan a week ago. Someone had to do it and since Sora was in the middle of a breakdown, naturally it fell to him. There was time to mope and there was time to take action. After four months of oppression and the like and two months of Sora just moping around wondering what the point of playing the hero would be, Riku made his way to the shipyard in the Destiny Islands.

Since Rutonfex, okay Roxas, seeing as he had the Keyblades nessacery to open the paths, opened the Worlds to everyone, paopu fruit had become quite a hot commodity. Few believed the whole "share one with someone and your destinies are intertwined", but it didn't change the fact that the fruits were downright delicious and made for good cosmetics. Ships were coming left and right for that magical fruit. On some of the more remote islands of the World, where the fruit grew unhindered due to the lack of human influence, massive plantations were set up to harvest it. It appeared that Rutonfex had effectively jumpstarted the economy of the Destiny Islands. And what was wrong about that? Nothing really.

Outside of personal reasons, there really was no good reason for anyone to go after the Artisan at this point. He made a number Worlds unbelievably wealthy, made technology available to all, and just showed that he knew what people want. The Outer Worlds absolutely worshiped him as the God he thought he was. Only the inner Core Worlds like Beast's Castle, Radiant Garden, and Olympus Coliseum had put up any form of resistance. And what was his justification for crushing them? They were afraid of change. They didn't want to accept the new order and were too stuck in their ways to acknowledge anything different. And the people of the Outer Worlds, without any mental manipulation whatsoever, believed it.

Fighting still raged on a number of those Core Worlds, but the big ones were subdued. Radiant Garden's Defenders fought as hard as they could, but were beaten down into submission and brought to the Camp. Disney Castle was locked up so that no one could leave it. A wise move on the part of Rutonfex, as the King could easily be a rallying point, for the Inner Worlds at least. In the easily ignored, and far more plentiful Outer Worlds, the Nobody's will reigned supreme.

With little to no allies, Riku set off on his impossible task. As he stowed away in the compartment of a ship heading to Radiant Garden, which was still a profitable trade hub even though it had been the site of the largest battles of the resistance, he looked out on his fragile blue World, expecting to either see it again as a hero, not that he was in it for the glory, or to never see it again.

Radiant Garden was a natural place to start. If nothing could be gained there, then onto Twilight Town, and so on. He didn't know how long this quest would take, but he would see it to its end. Or die. Which ever came first.

But his mission barely started before he was thrown into the thickest fight of his life.

**XIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIII**

_One Week Earlier…_

The smells of Radiant Garden were what hit him first when the compartment opened. After spending the journey smelling nothing but paopu fruit, all others seemed foreign. Irrelevant now, but still.

Riku silently slipped out of the ship before the teamsters could come and unload it. Trying hard not to draw attention to himself, he made his way to the main part of town. This was to be where he would start. He'd move around and try to get information on where the Artisan would be. Riku knew that it would be near suicide to go straight to the throneworld of the "Empire", as that would give Rutonfex a form of home field advantage. It was better to find out what other World he'd be on and take him out there. Plus, it would be better for him to do so, as it would probably happen in a public place.

He had to plan his strategy perfectly if he was to beat Rutonfex. The Artisan had the power of Mind, so things would not be as easy as just rushing him. No. He had to think. Come up with plans to evade getting trapped within his own head while that lunatic laughed and laughed and laughed. At the moment, he had nothing. But that didn't matter. Riku didn't expect to go toe to toe with the Artisan for a while. All the more time to plan.

He stepped out into the main square of the city. It was crawling with life, mostly humans, with a few Dusks around to largely keep the peace or just to intimidate any potential troublemakers. Riku made doubly sure to avoid them. They may be largely brainless and entirely dependant on which Cognito member pulled their strings, but they were still dangerous. Especially since he was sure that his face was known to them. After all, he had stood beside Sora against the Organization five months earlier.

Silently, he slipped through the crowds.

_So far, so good_ he thought as he walked through them, as he looked for someone who might have information that could lead to information that could lead to information on the current location of the Artisan.

It was his last thought before complete and utter blackness.

**XIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIII**

Riku awoke to find himself chained to a wall in some sort of circular tower.

"What the…" he said aloud as he pulled at the chains. How had he gotten here? The last thing he remembered was moving through the crowds in Radiant Garden. Where was he now?

"Oh good, you're up." A slightly high pitched male voice said from the shadows "I guess the fun can really begin now."

Riku had heard that voice before, but for the life of him couldn't remember. Of course, once his identity was made known a few moments later, it was painfully obvious. Maybe it was just the blunt trauma of being knocked unconscious.

"Yeah. Great." Riku said sarcastically "I'm chained to the wall with no clue as to where I am. What fun this is."

"Now, now." The voice said "I could easily just bash your miserable, little brains in, but where would be the fun in that?"

"Oh really?" scoffed Riku "Who exactly are you anyway?"

"I'll admit that our contact was painfully brief, but here's a blast from your past." And out of the shadows, Rutonfex's right hand man, Balosufuz, emerged.

"YOU!" shouted Riku as he nearly pulled his arms out of their sockets lunging forward at the Nobody.

"The one and only." He replied with a smile "Just imagine my good fortune. I was just keeping an eye on the great, unwashed rabble below, when who do I spot? An enemy of the state."

"Like I did anything. Who's to say I wasn't here for business? Or maybe I just felt like coming here?"

"True, both are plausible, but the Master has several notes on you. We figured it would be a matter of time before your natural heroism took over and you'd come after us. It's just good luck that I was able to get you before you did any damage."

"You still can't prove that I was going to do anything." Answered Riku "Ever hear of 'innocent until proven guilty'?"

"An out-dated notion that was done away once Rutonfex came to power." Replied Balosufuz "Since I'm the highest authority on this World right now, well…it's up to me to interpret what our Emperor wants."

"No wonder you people have made a utopia." Riku said rolling his eyes.

"You ever been to the Outer Worlds? They absolutely LOVE us over there! The ones that had Gummi travel always resented the well-to-do, although somewhat technologically stunted, inner Worlds. The Outer rim of the Universe was a fucking hellhole. I know! I'm from there. Cognito coming to power was the greatest thing that ever happened there."

"At cost of freedom apparently." Riku said "I've heard about what happens to anyone who 'disagrees' with your 'utopia'."

"Lack of liberty is a perfectly acceptable trade-off for glory, riches, and security." Answered the Nobody "Think about it. You get everything you could ever want and all we ask is for you to accept it. Sounds perfectly reasonable to me."

"Of course it would." Replied Riku "You helped write it."

Balosufuz just shrugged.

"I could stand here and argue ideology, but it's unfair to go against an unarmed opponent. Besides, Rutonfex will be pleased that we got Undesirable #2."

"I'm so honored." Scoffed Riku "If I'm that high on your list, why not come after me on the islands?"

"Were you doing anything besides living?" Balosufuz asked "If not, then we had no reason. Course, in the end, it wouldn't matter if you guilty or innocent. Not for what we've got planned."

"Really now?" said Riku raising an eyebrow "And what might that be?"

"Nuh uh uh!" responded Balosufuz with a finger wag "Veidt's Law: Never reveal your plans until it's too late for anyone to do anything about it. Besides, did you think I was that stupid?"

"No." answered Riku "Of course; you should've remembered what my weapon was."

His Keyblade appeared in his hand and using its length, he sliced one of his chains in half. The limp links fell with his arm as he grabbed the weapon with his other hand and cut the other chain off.

"It's not an easy weapon to take away." He said as he posed himself for a fight. But all the Nobody did was clap.

"You see, I knew this would happen." He said with a smug smile "The chains were just for effect."

Balosufuz held out his hand and a giant hammer appeared in it. The handle was maybe about two feet long, with what looked like a large cinderblock towards the top.

"Here's the weapon that knocked you out." He said getting himself in an attack position "Let's do it again!"

He rushed forward to attack Riku. Knowing that the other man easily had over a foot in height and was incredibly broad, it wouldn't be easy to take him out in a frontal attack. Instead, when Balosufuz came charging near him, Riku jumped over him. It caught the Nobody by surprise for a second, but that was all Riku needed. Holding his Keyblade out, he shouted "Firaga!"

But no sound came out his mouth. He could feel his lips moving as he said the word, but he couldn't hear a thing. He repeated it again and again, but the effect was still the same. And if the Keyblade couldn't respond to the vocal command, then it was just a regular sword.

Balosufuz just smiled.

"And that's my element." He said, his smile wide across his broad face "Sound! I can remove it, decrease it, or even…increase it."

The last two words of his sentence produced a shockwave that blew Riku across the room, smacking him against a wall. When he finally pulled his head up, Balosufuz was already standing in front of him. The Nobody brought his hammer down him, but Riku rolled out of the way. But when he did so, Balosufuz just changed his position and tried to smash Riku wherever he was lying.

On the fifth time he tried, Riku slid underneath his legs and jumped up, hitting him in the back with his weapon as he did so. That caused Balosufuz to turn around and swing his hammer over. Riku just ducked, but when he popped up, he got a face full of hammer.

He stumbled backwards, trying to shake the awful headache, among other pains, when Balosufuz rushed over to him. On instinct, he held his Keyblade out to block the Nobody's hammer, but instead he found himself knocked to the ground by a shockwave.

"Another part of my impressive skills!" shouted Balosufuz as he brought his hammer down on Riku. Because of the split second that Balosufuz had given because his talking, Riku managed to get his Keyblade in the air and he blocked Balosufuz's hammer. The two entered a sort of struggle, but eventually Riku managed to break it.

Instinctively, he shouted "Thundaga!"

He didn't know if his voice was still nullified, but he tried anyway. Lucky for him, Balosufuz hadn't kept it up. The lightening bolt came down on the Nobody's head, sending him stumbling backwards.

"Well played." He said "But ultimately futile."

"Just bring it." Replied Riku jumping up and holding his Keyblade in attack position.

"Oh this is gonna be fun." He said with an even bigger smile than before. He stood there for a while, just leaning on his hammer.

"What are you waiting…" but he didn't get a chance to finish his sentence, as an earsplitting shriek filled his ears. Pain flooded into his head, as he dropped his Keyblade and covered his ears, but to no avail. The shrill noise persisted.

"Just another one of my tricks." Balosufuz said walking up to him "A sound played at a frequency that no human brain can stand."

He then kicked Riku in the stomach. He fell to the ground, with unbearable pain in two parts of his body now.

"I don't even need my hammer to attack you now." The Nobody said with another kick "As long as I keep that noise up, your ass is mine!"

"Just…shut…up!" shouted Riku, but Balosufuz brought one his boots to his face.

"Nah." He said, giving him another kick in the stomach "I don't think so."

He prepared to kick him again, when Riku shot up, a look of utmost determination on his face. He wasn't going to lose. Not to this man. Dodging out of the way of the kick, he grabbed his Keyblade and attacked again. A flurry of fast strikes hit Balosufuz and it pleased Riku to find that that earsplitting shriek had stopped.

Over and over again, he hit the Nobody with his weapon. Riku pushed forward with his attacks as Balosufuz tried to evade them. The Nobody had nothing to block them with, as he left his hammer behind when he walked over to kick Riku.

The flurry of attacks didn't last too much longer, as they reached the spot where Balosufuz's hammer was. Ducking from one of the attacks, he grabbed hold of its handle and swung it at Riku's shins. It made contact and Riku went down. Wasting no time, and with a scowl on his face, Balosufuz repeatly brought his hammer down on Riku's head.

"You. Should. Have. Stayed. Down!" he said at each hammer fall.

"NEVER!" shouted Riku, which was followed by "Blizzaga!"

The spell hit Balosufuz's hands, freezing them to his handle.

"Big mistake kid." He said his face full of fury "Big fucking mistake!"

He brought the hammer down, but Riku rolled out of the way and hopped up, with some difficulty, as he had just been repeatedly hit in the head with a large, metal hammer. Balosufuz swung his hammer over to Riku, but it was blocked with his Keyblade. Riku then kneed the Nobody in the stomach, breaking the hold.

Balosufuz doubled over in pain and Riku hit him in the back with his Keyblade, knocking him to the ground. It looked like Riku might have emerged victorious from his one, as all he had to do was bring his weapon down on the Nobody's defenseless neck. He had to kill him, as he was never going to give up and lead him to Rutonfex. No. He had to finish this now.

He was about to land the finishing blow, when the shrill noise entered into his head again, only this time, it was more powerful. Blood began to trickle out of his ears, as he dropped to his knees and covered his ears.

Balosufuz said nothing as he stood up, and just smiled. The spell had worn off on his hands, but he didn't use his hammer. Instead, he pulled back and punched Riku right in the face.

Once again, darkness overtook him.

**XIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIIIXIII**

In a way, Riku did get what he wanted out of his mission. When he came to, he was on the ground before Rutonfex himself.

Balosufuz was smarter than he let on, having put Riku in hand covering cuffs behind his back before throwing him to the mercy of the Artisan. He also remained next to him to remove any sound that might emerge from his throat.

Rutonfex acted as if this was a tremendous victory, which it was. After all, Riku was pretty high on their threat list. While they actually ranked Sora as a bigger threat than him, they didn't worry at the time because they knew that he was in no mood to fight.

The Artisan could have killed him right then and there. It was his right to do so. Instead, being the colossal bastard that he was, he decided to keep him alive for the time being. With a little mental manipulation, he took Riku's Keyblade, murmuring about how it would double the process, whatever that meant.

And so, he was thrown in the frozen wasteland of the World That Never Was to share an uncertain fate. It could be warranted that this was Rutonfex's intention all along, but who really knew with him?

The day had begun like any other for Riku. He got up from his freezing cold bunk surrounded by other prisoners, giving some heat to the cramped cabin, but not much. The freezing cold was the norm in the camp. And one should never complain to the human guards. They didn't get their jobs to be sympathetic to prisoners. They were there to do what Dusks couldn't; actually think.

Dusks were useful in carrying out orders without question and doing whatever they were told, but that was it. No imagination, just doing what is literally stated to them. The Human guards on the other hand…well, it was better to have around if the prisoners ever got uppity. Plus, early on, many believed that if a Dusk carted you off into the Castle, there was no way in Hell you were coming back. But if a human did it, well, maybe there was a chance. Of course, the truth was that the odds of a human guard taking you to your (supposed) death were the same as a Dusk doing the honors. It was a little trick that Rutonfex implentmented. Dusks used to do all the work themselves, but it kept the prisoners on edge. A Dusk just moved coldly and silently while doing its work. There were near riots before the Artisan hired some humans to do identical work. As Rutonfex and Cognito were practically worshiped in the Outer Worlds, there was an eager pool of volunteers ready and willing to ask "how high" when the Artisan said "jump".

In addition, the human guards did a little too well at convincing prisoners that there was nothing to fear. Some guards would laugh and joke around with prisoners and show them that they were alright guys. And then they would be the ones that led their "friends" into the Castle. This system worked beautifully. So many went off to their fates blissfully unaware until the absolute last second what was in store for them.

And those were the lucky ones. Once again, it seemed to some that the only way out was in a body bag.

Shortly after awakening, Riku stepped outside into the cold, rainy air. The atmosphere remained same every single day. Freezing and dark, with some form of frozen precipitation falling from the sky. That appeared to be the only variation. Some days it would rain, others it would snow. There was never a clear day. The guards hated it as much as the prisoners, but being good little servants of Cognito, did not complain. And they also didn't put up with complaints from the prisoners. Some did, but more often than not, they were just humoring them. In fact, some made it into a cruel game. They would take the complainer into the Castle, as it was known that the Warden lived on the top level, to tell their grievance to him in prison. But instead of going up, they sent their prisoner to the fate that so many had had before them. If they were feeling kind, then a bullet to the head would suffice. And then they would explain to the other prisoners that they had impressed the Warden with their assessments and were allowed to leave.

There were many, many causalities after prisoners who heard that story got the same idea. Eventually, they caught on and it stopped, but about a quarter of the Camp was cleaned out with that little bit of brilliance. The guard who first thought of it had himself a promotion and a glowing record of praise from Rutonfex for making the job so much easier.

With nothing better to do, Riku sat down on the front stoop of his shack and just sat in thought. What else was there really to do?

He was so lost in thought that he thought he had imagined a familiar voice saying his name.

Or another one responding "You think?"

"I'm sure!" the first voice said and with that Riku picked up his head and looked in its direction. He did not expect what he saw.

Standing in front of the fence was Sora and Kairi, as well as a host of champions from other Worlds that were known to be in rebellion against the Artisan. But two men with them remained strangers to him. One was rather tall with an almost aristocratic air about him, with light brown hair that ended just above his shoulders. The other, was a bit different. Of median height, with long unkept black hair and a scraggly goatee around his mouth, the most glaring feature of this man was his eyes. They were not the normal pupil, iris, cornea of regular people. Instead, they were huge, taking up practically what is the entire eyesocket and bright yellow. Almost like…a Heartless.

"Sora? Kairi?" Riku exclaimed running up to the fence.

"Riku!" they both shouted jubilantly.

"What are you doing here?" asked Riku.

"We could ask you the same question. We thought that you were…" Sora began, but trailed off before finishing. Riku just laughed.

"It'd take more than them to finish me off." He said "I'm glad to see you've come out of your funk."

"Oh yeah." Answered Sora with a smile "I can't just sit down and do nothing while the fate of all the Worlds is left in your hands."

"Hey watch it!" Riku said, also with a smile "I was this close to saving the Universe."

"Heh, well, it looks like your plan is working perfectly."

The two friends shared a laugh. It had been too long since they had done that, what with Sora's coma and then breakdown. After a few happy seconds, they stopped.

"Anyway, what are you guys doing here?" Riku asked.

"Roxas tricked us." Answered Sora with a scowl.

"What do you mean?"

"I fought him. I beat him. He was supposed to send us to…_him_, but instead sent us here."  
"Yeah, that sounds like him alright." Agreed Riku "But, hey, you got the better of him. You found me!"

"Guess you're right." Nodded Sora.

"Hey! You done with this little reunion?" the Yellow eyed Stanger asked "We gotta get a move on!"

"Who's that?" Riku asked pointing over at him.

The Stranger pushed Sora out of the way and walked up to the fence.

"Name's Chance." He said, revealing a smile that was yellow and fanged "I'm a Heartless."

Riku stepped back a bit from the fence. What was one of those creatures doing with them?

"Yeah, I know." Sora said going back up to the fence "I'm not happy with it either. But…" he sighed "Any help is good right?"

"Not when it's a World destroying monster!" retorted Riku "What were you thinking signing him on?"

"I didn't pick him up! He forced his way in!"

"Then you should have used your Keyblade!"  
"Whoa, whoa, whoa!" said Chance holding his arms defensively "Now I got no problem with prejudice and bigotry, but c'mon! Have an open mind at least!"  
"Oh sure." Riku said sarcastically "Yeah, I'm gonna put a bit of my life in the hands of a creature that pretty much started this whole mess. You ever hear of the story of the frog and the scorpion?"

"Yes I have." Nodded Chance "But this will be different. I want that fucktard in power gone just as much as you do."

"Look Riku," Kairi added "We don't want him around either, but we need the help. Besides, he's not going to cause any trouble. Right Chance?" She glared over at the Heartless.

"Correct." He replied nervously "Yeah, I already receiving one tremendous ass-kicking. I don't need another. I'm acting on my best behavior!"

"Whatever." Riku said. After pausing for a brief while, he added "Well, since we're all here, how about springing me?"

TO BE CONTINUED…

_  
Denying the lying, a million children fighting.  
For lives in strife, for hope beyond the horizon.  
A dead world, a dark path,  
Not even crossroads to choose from.  
All these blood red carpets before me,  
Behold this fair creation of God.  
_- "Planet Hell" Nightwish

A/N: Finally! I've worked on this chapter on and off for the last two months and now I've got it finished. And it's only half of what I originally intended for this chapter.

So the World That Never Was is some kind of prison. But what is going on in the Castle that's so terrible? Stay tuned for the next chapter to find out. Sure enough, it shows that my brain is completely twisted.

The song Chance is singing in the beginning is _Noldor (Dead Winter Reigns)_ by Blind Guardian, which was what I planned on using for this chapter in complete form. It would have been better if I had done that, but it still fits Chance's character.

Anyways, lets hear from you people. It's been two months and I know you've been aching for an update. So here it is!

The Magnificent Tim Fortune 3/11/09 2:21 PM


	22. Sanity Is Not As It Was Meant To Be

**Tim Fortune**

**Presents**

**KINGDOM HEARTS: COGNITO**

**Act III Scene VII: Sanity Is Not As It Was Meant To Be**

It didn't take long for Sora to burn a hole in the fence. Riku was about to climb through it, when he was stopped by Sora attempting to get in.

"What are you doing?" he asked, practically nose to nose with his friend as they tried to maneuver around each other "The point is to get me out not let you in!"

"Trying to skip the middle man kid?" Chance said with a smile.

Sora ignored the Heartless and replied "Best chance we got for getting out of here just might be in the castle. We've got to get there."

"Hold up." Riku said backing away from the fence "You're telling me that you want to head straight into the one place that no one in his entire God-forsaken wasteland wants to go in order to head to a place that no one else has ever probably been so that we can take down the Head nutjob." There was a pause and he added "Alright then. Let's do it."

He held out his hand and Sora clasped it as he stepped through the hole in the fence. No sooner had he done so when a bullet cracked past his head. Instinctively, both he and Riku ducked. It seemed that the guards had finally noticed them.

Soon, more bullets followed the first one. The group outside ducked too and crawled further away from the fence. With bullets flying in practically every direction, Sora pulled out his Keyblade.

"Reflera!" he shouted and a simmering force field of sorts surrounded him. Rushing quickly, he jumped out of the hole in the fence. Riku looked up at him with a "what the hell man?" look on his face.

"I'll be back!" Sora replied when he saw Riku's expression "I promise!"

The shield he had was starting to come apart as bullets relentlessly hit. Running as fast as he could, he ducked into the alleyway.

Yelling "Reflega!" over his crouched companions, he added "Come on!"

Kairi was the first jump up as the bullets kept hitting the invisible barrier. Beast, Hercules, Jack Skellington, and Chance soon joined her. Jack Sparrow, on the other hand, still crawled on his hands and knees through under the barrier.

"Can't be too careful." He said as he entered the alleyway where everyone was "I know few of you know what it's like to be shot at, but trust me, it ain't fun."

"So kid," Chance said going up towards Sora "Did you really think it was as easy as just burning a hole in a fence and walking through? Did you not see the guards with _fucking automatic weapons_? Are you really that retarded?"

"I didn't exactly see you coming up with any ideas." Sora retorted "All you did was just stand back and say your usual snarky comments. I thought you were here to help us!"

"No, you're here to help me!"

"You're really that selfish aren't you? It doesn't matter what anyone else's reasons are, oh no. Chance has the best reason to do what he does above all us."

"I'm here because my entire fucking existence is at stake!" he replied, looking slightly intimidating because of his yellow eyes, but it didn't deter Sora in the slightest "What about the rest of you? Pride? Altruism? Money? Revenge even? If we fail and survive, which is a big fucking if, at the end of the day you're all still gonna be here! Meanwhile, I'm going to fft! Disappear! Or at least it'll seem like it. I'm going to become a fucking Shadow. A brainless, dull witted, underling! I don't fucking deserve that!"

"Some would argue that you do." said Sora looking him right in the eye "What have you done to help us at all? Nothing from what I've heard. You're just here along for the ride, making comments about how we're all stupid and how you know everything. You say you need us, so why don't you act like it?"

"Sora! Chance! Just stop it!" Kairi exclaimed coming between the two "You're acting like a bunch of kids, what with all this arguing. Really, what's the point? We've got to work together on this!"

"See kid?" Chance said, a small smile growing on his lips "Your girlfriend gets it."

But the smile was quickly gone when Kairi smacked him in the face with her Keyblade.

"Don't act like you're blameless." She said "Sora's right. What've you done to help us?"

"I'm not killing you people even though I'm strongly resisting that urge." The Heartless replied, spitting out some of his blackish blood. With a sneer he added "This is a bitch for me to say, but I do need you people. How long do you think I'd last by my lonesome against the full might of this power hungry dickwad? Not fucking long."

"You didn't seem so weak when you took out those Dusks on the beach." said Sora.

"Yeah, well, those were mooks. I whip a few tendrils at them and snap!" He snapped his fingers to accentuate the point "They're gone. 'Sides, that was more of a 'don't fuck with me' gesture than anything. If you recall, I merely scared them off."

"Okay, so you've got your tricks. Still doesn't mean you have any use to us. It seems that we're just carrying you along for the ride, so that when we've done all the work you get all the glory."

"You think you've got me figured out don't you kid?" said Chance "You think I'm that fucking one dimensional. Ye Gods! If only you knew!"

"Then why don't you enlighten us?" Sora said.

"Sora…" Kairi said putting her hand on his shoulder, but he just shrugged it off.

"No. I want to hear what he has to say. So spit it out already, what is your reason for being here?"

"My. Fucking. Existence." Replied Chance with a deep breath between words "It's a simple reason, but it means far, far, far more to me than any of your reasons."

"From the way you say it, your reason is just as selfish as any of ours."

"Of fucking course! Why the fuck do you think anyone does anything? Because they're gonna gain something, no matter how insignificant it may be! Look deep within yourself and tell me differently. Go on, I fucking dare you!"

Chance and Sora stared at each other for a while. No one within the group spoke, not even Jack Sparrow who normally would be prone to breaking up tense moments like this. He just stood there with the rest of them as the Heartless and the hero stared each other down.

"You know, we could stand here all day," Sora said still looking Chance straight in his pupiless eyes "Or we could do what we came here to do."

A slight smile grew on Chance's face.

"I win." He said, his smile growing a bit wider.

"Just because I ended the argument doesn't mean you've won it." Sora replied.

"Yes it does."

Sora put his face in his palm and shook is head.

"What world did you come from?" he asked "Do you even listen to anything you say?"

Chance ignored him and walked away, his smile still broad on his face.

"Man, I swear, I'm gonna kill him." Sora said turning to Kairi "He's just so irritating!"

"We can think about that later." she said back to him "But right now, we've got to figure out how to get back Riku."

"Oh yeah." Was Sora's response "So…um, yeah. Anyone got any ideas?"

"Another frontal assault? That one worked so well the last time." said Chance turning his head over his shoulder, that idiotic smile still plastered on his face.

"You shut up."

The Heartless just shrugged as he turned his head back around.

"You asked for ideas. I gave you one. Can't blame me there."

Sora took a deep breath. This was hard enough as it was. He didn't need the snide and often pointless comments from that annoying man or creature, or whatever he may be.

"Any relevant ideas?" he said.

"Bugger if I know." replied Jack Sparrow scratching his head "I mean, I thought this wos a routine smash smash grab. I didn't expect a prison break."

"It's more than that." said Sora "If we're going to win this thing I think we may need to go into the castle."

"And why might that be?" said Beast leaning against one of the walls "Given the way the camp is set up, that would seem to be the last place we'd want to go."

"Normally, that'd be true. But we're pretty much trapped here and we have no clue how to get the throneworld. If there's going to be a portal or some other form of transport to get us there, it's probably going to be inside that castle."

"Oh yes. Great! We not only break into a prison with armed guards, we try to bust into what's probably the most heavily guarded place in the entire camp! Hey Chance! Throw us your guns; a bullet in the temple would be quicker!"

"Why are you being so negative all of a sudden?" Sora responded "You pretty much got everyone together on this!"

"True, but I thought it'd be some grand heroic gesture, breaking into his castle, going one on one with his friends and saving the day as usual." answered Beast, a scowl starting to show on his face "Instead, we met on a beach with barely any idea as to what he should do, ended up wandering around a desolate wasteland for hours all for the chance to bust a friend out of a prison camp and make a suicidal charge against a heavily fortified position. Brilliant!"

"A little impatient aren't you?" Sora said walking up to him "You just want to go up to him and fight? It's never that easy. There's always things that get in your way. But hey, I guess you never experienced what a true adventure is anyway."

"If your goal is to get into a homicidal rage…" Beast began straitening up and looked down at Sora. Their eyes locked and they stared each other down. It was unknown what was going to happen between the two of them, as a bolt of lightning cracked right next to them. Both jumped back a bit and Sora turned to see Kairi looking right at him while she held her Keyblade out.

"Enough." She said through gritted teeth.

"He's the one who…" Sora began but Kairi interrupted him.

"I don't care." She said going up to Sora "We're should be figuring out what we're going to do here, but instead you just have to argue with everybody! We should be working as a team here."

"I can't help it if this 'team' has some disagreeable elements to it." Sora said gesturing over to the wall where Beast and Chance stood "I'm trying to be a leader here, but instead…"

"I hate to say it, but you're doing an incredibly bad job at it." said Kairi cutting him off once again "During this entire time, I can't think of any instance where you've done any actual 'leading'. I mean Jack has done a better job than you!"  
The pirate shrugged and said "I do wot I can."

"Please, I don't want to get into an argument with you." Sora said pleadingly.

"Then just do something!"

"Well, if working in committee fails," Chance said, putting his sunglasses back on and moving away from the wall "Then a unilateral decision is in order. Stand aside and watch a pro do his work."

Casually moving out of the alley, the Heartless walked up to the fence.

"What is he doing?" Sora asked looking over at him.

"I don't know." Replied Kairi "But do we ever know what's going on in that head of his?"

"I don't think I want to know." he said and everyone in the group turned their attention out of the alley to see what their supposedly insane travelling companion was up to.

With his hands in his pockets and a massive smile on his face, Chance went up to the fence. While a small group of guards had shot at them, only two remained to watch that hole that Sora had made in the fence. They stood at the ready, weapons poised ready to shoot anything that they deemed a threat. Riku had already been moved back to his barracks by the others and the area in near the fence was empty save for those two guards.

"Hiddley-hey." Chance said as he stood in front of the fence.

"Hey! Back away!" one of the guards shouting motioning with the barrel of his gun.

"Aw, whatsamatta?" he said "Don't have the time to chat with little old me?"

"I'm warning you!" the guard said, placing his thumb on the safety latch on his weapon "Back away or we will shoot."

"Now, now, I don't see what kind of threat I could present to you and your boyfriend over there. I mean, two big, buff he-men like yourselves can't possibly be intimidated by a 140 lb, 5 foot 8 weakling like myself. Unless of course, your big guns are compensating for something."

The other guard moved his hand towards the safety switch as well. Chance merely chuckled.

"Looks like I was proven right." he said "But, hey, at least size doesn't matter in a healthy relationship like yours. Course, that depends on who's the bitch of the two of you."

"Shut up and back away or you will be shot." The 2nd guard said, now pointing the gun at Chance.

"And we have a winner! I don't know what's got you all worked up. Time of the month? Did your partner pull a Houdini on you? A Bucking Bronco, type 2? Course, with you people type 1 is bad enough. But hey! Domefest '09 is right around the corner! You going, I'm coming! Time for a revenge lay!"

"Does anyone what he's talking about?" said Sora looking back at the group. They all shook their heads. "Figures." Once again, Chance was just saying random things that made sense to him. But whatever the terms meant, they apparently were getting to the guards.

"If it was a type 2 Bucking Bronco," Chance continued "I'd like to meet the guy who got it on tape. Plus the look on your face must have priceless when the blinds opened! I don't get off to that shit; I'm straight, but man! It would be fucking hilarious to see!"

"This is your last warning." the first guard said, turning off the safety and aiming directly at Chance, as his companion did the same "Leave or we will open fire."

Their warning did nothing to deter Chance in the slightest. His smile growing ever larger, he took a step closer to the fence.

"Don't like hearing the truth cockknockers? I don't blame you. If some douchebag not unlike myself came up to me and started talking shit about my orientation, that motherfucker would be dead before the next sentence started. But you fairies, you've got some incredible self-control. I walk up here ranting about how you two are butt pirates and you still give ample warnings! I am touched! I'm severely touched here! Course, you probably want to touch there, but that's another matter."

"Step away from the fence. Now!" the 2nd guard shouted.

"And I thought I got my last warning before!" Chance said, swaying back and forth on his heels "Well, I might as well wrap this up. I have no intention of stepping away from the fence. In fact, in a few moments, I'm going to step though it, kill you, and wait for my friends," he pulled one of his hands out of his pocket and waved towards the alleyway, which made Sora and the group duck their heads back in "To come in so that we can free a certain prisoner and head into yon castle so that we may escape this hellhole of a World and go forward to kill your fucktard boss. And I will get away with it for one simple reason…"

And with an overly theatrical gesture that was completely unnecessary, he removed his other hand from his pocket and plunged both hands into his coat, presumably to remove his guns.

"Because, muthafucka, I'm…" but he didn't get a chance to finish his sentence as the guards opened fire. Their bullets quickly collided with his body as he jerked and sprayed his black blood everywhere. The shooting lasted for about a minute or so, but when it was done, the Heartless was nothing more than black shreds and black liquid strewn across the ground. And not once did his smile leave his face. It was still there, shining idiotically towards the sky as he fell to the ground.

"Take that!" the 1st guard yelled as he pulled his gun up after finishing "Where the hell did you think you get off saying shit like that? You must've been some kind of gigantic retard to think you could get away with that."

"Yeah and explaining what you're gonna do? Stupid!" the 2nd guard chimed in. Turning to face the 1st one, he asked "So what about the people in the alleyway?"

"Unless they're as retarded as him, they ain't gonna do shit." he replied "Now c'mon. We don't have to stand so close to the hole. Let's step back a bit."

"But what about the prisoners?"

"What about 'em? They heard the gunfire. They ain't comin' out."

Back in the alleyway, the group looked at each other. What was Chance thinking going out there? Not only that, but brazenly insulting the guards, as well as telling them their plans. It was completely idiotic. There was no base in logic for him to do what he did, so why did he do it? It didn't help them in any way and in fact made the job more difficult. There was no way that they were going to get in to free Riku and get into the castle now.

But there was a silver lining to this. Chance was gone. Sora looked up to the sky and mouthed "Thank you" to some unseen deity, the moment he took a quick look out and saw Chance's bleeding and bullet ridden body lying on the ground. No more would they have to deal with his condescending and flippant attitude towards everything. There would be no more snarky comments. It was liberating in a way.

"Well gents," Jack Sparrow said breaking the silence "What do we do now?"

"No clue." Sora replied "We're still stuck in the same situation we were before Chance made his suicidal run. Only difference now is he made it harder."

"More like shown how impossible it was." Beast said under his breath.

"I don't see you coming up with ideas!" Sora snapped.

"Okay, okay, calm down." Kairi said calmly "We need to work together on this. I don't know what Chance was thinking doing that, especially since he laughed at Sora for doing the exact same thing. But it once again shows that we can't go in guns a blazing. I think that we should…"

But she didn't get to finish, as a noise not unlike that of a snake slithering could be heard outside of the alleyway. The group rushed over to the walls and looked out. Where Chance's body once lay, a black shadow of sorts slowly moved under the fence and behind the guards.

"Oh you gotta be kidding me." Sora said as he saw it.

"I guess we shouldn't be surprised." said Jack Skellington "He is a Heartless after all."

"Of course." Sora said bitterly. It seemed that the Universe wasn't going to get rid that annoyance that easily.

Slowly, the shadow began building itself up and taking humanoid form. Chance's familiar features soon showed up, except that there wasn't something a little different about them. His face now looked like it was constantly streaked in shadow, even though there wasn't much light inside the camp. His smile even broader on his face, showing teeth that now completely resembled fangs, he removed his sunglasses, his bright yellow eyes focused on the two guards in front of him. Lifting up his arms he tapped them on the shoulder. They sharply turned around and their faces went white when they saw the monster that now stood in front of them.

"Hiiiiiiii…" Chance said in a low voice. Before the guards had any time to react, he quickly tore the throat of one them out. Blood gushed everywhere as the guard staggered away. His friend lifted his gun up to fire at the Heartless, but Chance moved quickly over to him. Pulling one of his gloves off his teeth and spitting it out onto the ground, he lifted the hand up into the air. The tips of his fingers, which already resembled black claws, extended and he drove his hand deep into the man's chest. The guard's eyes opened wide in fear as Chance leaned close to his face.

"Snacktime." He said as he pulled his hand out, the man's Heart along with it. Opening his mouth, which stretched wider than a normal human's, he tossed the Heart into it and chomped down. The other guard had fallen earlier to the ground face first, the blood from his throat pooling around him. Chance walked up to him and using his foot, kicked him onto his back. Crouching down, he clawed open that man's chest and took his Heart. Opening his mouth again, he threw it in and closed his mouth, licking the blood off his lips with a satisfying look.

With his face, hands and front completely covered in red, he turned around and looked at the group that was peeking their heads out of the alleyway.

"Well?" he said impatiently "Come on!"

The other members looked at each other. While they had known that Heartless devour Hearts, they had never seen one who did it literally.

"What?" Sora said angrily "What? You just tore two guys to shreds and literally ate their Hearts! If you think we're following you now…"

"Like I give a fuck what you think."

"Well that's a fact I'm well aware of!"

"It doesn't matter. We've got precious seconds to spare. I gave you people an opening and the best thing you can fucking do is exploit it! You have no fucking clue of what to do otherwise. Just come on!"

"Argggh!" Sora shouted in frustration to the sky. Chance was right. They didn't have any idea of what they were going to do about Riku and getting out of here. While he had brutally murdered and cannibalized two guards, it was at least progress. Progress that no other member was willing to do.

"Finally a little action." Beast said, being the first to walk out of the alley. He jogged over to the fence and climbed through the hole in it when another guard walked over to the scene. While the cliché was for this guard to instantly run and report, common sense and basic training won out. Taking in the scene, he flipped the safety off on his weapon and took aim at both Chance and Beast.

The Heartless acted quickly. Taking one of his guns, he shot the man in his kneecap. The guard fell over, accidently firing his gun, of which the bullet flew right past Chance's head. Leaping forward, Chance dug his hand into the man's chest and pulled out his Heart, dropping it in his mouth once again.

"I knew that your kind ate Hearts," Beast said, getting up from the ground where he ducked when the guard came out "But why do you actually, well, eat them?"

"Magically or otherwise, I'm still getting fed." Replied Chance, wiping his bloody face with his equally bloody hand. Taking the dead man's weapon, he threw it over to Beast. "You know how to use one of those? Just load a bullet into the chamber, aim, fire and repeat. Here" Undoing the man's belt, he tossed it over as well "There should be some ammo in there. Now let's see what else this guy has."

Chance rummaged through the man's pockets as the other members of the group came through the hole and into the camp proper. While no other guards had come by yet, it was only a matter of time until they arrived en masse. If Chance had some kind of plan, he would have to act fast on it.

"Okay." Sora said taking a deep breath "We're in the camp. Now we have to get Riku and get into that castle."

"Sounds easy." said Jack Sparrow, completely earnestly, prompting a smack on the back of the head by Hercules. "That's starting to hurt you know!" he said rubbing the area.

"Then stop deserving them." The demi-god replied.

"Jesus, can't we go five minutes without any sort of argument?" Chance said, looking over his shoulder as he pulled a black carton out of the dead man's pocket. "Fuck yes! Djarums! There is a God!"

Taking one of the black sticks out and sticking it in his mouth, he patted down his pockets.

"Anyone got a light?" he asked, smiling as the cigarette remained clenched in his fangs.

Sora scowled and lifted up his Keyblade and shouted "Firaga!" while aiming straight at Chance's face. The force of the blast knocked the Heartless back off his feet. When he stood up again, various strands of hair were alight, while he took a calm drag off his lit cigarette.

"Thanks." said Chance, exhaling the smoke.

"I hoped that you'd stay down that time." replied Sora, even more aggravated.

Chance just shrugged and said "Can't win them all." As he removed his smoke and knocked ash onto the ground. Sora just took another deep breath and turned away from him. What could he do? The creature that he was just shrugged off everything. Bullets, insults, fire; they were seemingly all the same to him. And it didn't seem like human life was all that precious to him either. He had just witnessed him rip the still beating Hearts out of the chest of three men and eat them. If it wasn't clear before, it was clear now. Chance was like no Heartless he'd ever seen before. Although he'd met Xehanort's Heartless, Chance just seemed to be…more human. Sure, he was a sociopath, a cannibal, and a just plain unpleasant person, but he still seemed like a regular human. Assuming of course, one got over his bright yellow eyes, which as he said were the result of someone gouging them out for being too irritating. There probably was more to that story, but that was what it seemed to be on the surface.

"Alright gents," the Heartless said, blowing a puff of smoke out of the side of his mouth "Soon this is place is gonna be crawling with guards, so arm up!"

"Since when do you get to give orders?" Sora said turning back to face him.

"Since you couldn't grow the balls to do them yourself." said Chance matter of factly. He braced himself for another hit from a Keyblade, but found that neither Sora nor Kairi were attacking him. "Deciding not to attack me again, huh? Growing a little more restraint?"

"Your time will come." Sora said and Kairi nodded "But we've got other things to worry about."

"He's right. Let's just get Riku and get out of here as fast as possible."

"Fine then. So are you gonna grab the guns back there?"

"Our Keyblades should do fine." Sora answered.

"Okay. Well, Pirate, God, go grab those guns. It looks like you'll need them."

"Just do it guys." Beast said, throwing the gun strap over his shoulder "We're largely defenseless and we need the fire power."

Jack Sparrow and Hercules carefully walked over to the bodies of the men Chance had previously killed. While they didn't want to take anything off a murdered corpse, the situation being what it was…

"What about me?" Jack Skellington said "Do I get any weapon of sorts?"

"You're undead. And like me, you can't be killed, so congrats! You're coming up front with me!" Chance said, taking the cigarette out of his mouth and stamping it out under his foot. He pulled another one out of the box and turned over to the third dead man. Reaching into the same pocket where he had gotten the smokes, he pulled out a lighter. Igniting it, he lifted it up to his mouth and took a deep inhale on his new cigarette. "But if it'll make you feel better, here."

He tossed Jack one of his revolvers.

"You familiar with one of these? Just point and click."

The Pumpkin King held the gun up to examine it. The dim light of Kingdom Hearts reflected off of it, as he lowered it to the side.

"Are we ready to do this?" Sora asked, resting his Keyblade over his shoulder. The various members of the group said things of agreement, while Beast, Jack Sparrow and Hercules locked bullets into their guns chambers.

"Alright, let's go!"

TO BE CONTINUED…

_And in the dark, you hide away for who or what, you can't say,  
When I see the power of the demon come alive.  
__You know that __**sanity is not as it was meant to be**__,  
And now that misery has taken a new stand.  
__On the wings of eagles flying staring on to the sun,  
Reaching for the gold horizon, when the war shall be won.  
Can you see the debauchery?  
__And the blade of death that has come for thee?  
In winds of torment, forever more you will cry for just…  
__One more time to escape from all this madness,  
One more time to be set free from all this sadness,  
And one last time to be the one who understands,  
My soul and my spirit will go on for all of eternity.  
_- "My Spirit Will Go On" DragonForce

A/N: _One update every two months isn't so bad_. – Little Kuriboh

So yeah, this one was kind of a grind to write. Fucking writers block. It took me about a month to get from page 3, Chance and Sora arguing, to page 8, Chance insulting the guards.

This chapter was originally supposed to be longer. Hell, this was supposed to be one long chapter comprised of this, chapter 21, and what will now be chapter 23. But hey, I gotta update sometime, don't I?

Anyhoos, I finished writing this as _Dancing Mad_ from Final Fantasy VI and _One Winged Angel_ from FFVII blared on my computer. That's right. In the two months it's taken me to post an update, I've gotten myself into Final Fantasy. Mostly, it's just FFVI on my Game Boy, but now I have a desire to acquire FFVII and VIII. I have no idea why. I'm just gonna blame TV Tropes for bringing them up so many goddamn times.

Welp, I'm about to go out and have a smoke. Cheers!

The Magnificent Tim Fortune 5/9/09 11:05 PM


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